Relationship between Physical Fitness and Functional Status in Indian Children with Spastic Cerebral Palsy-A Cross Sectional Study

A major problem with cerebral palsy children in India is that they lag behind in daily functional life activities that limits their participation in performance related physical fitness and limits them in achieving their greatest potential in functional status. The aim of the study is to find weather the fitness components are related to the functional status in Indian children with spastic cerebral palsy

Thirty spastic cerebral palsy (CP) children participated in the study (12 males, 18 females SD Mean age 9yr, SD +/-1.9, age range 6-12yr). All the participants performed the following physical fitness tests 10m shuttle run test, short-term muscle power test, 5x10m sprint-test, five repetition sit-to-stand test, BMI (kg/m²), and functional status was measured by the total score of WeeFIM being 126 using all the domain of self-care, chair transfer, cognition.

There was no relation between BMI, Aerobic capacity and WeeFIM. There is low to moderate correlation of (r = 0.363, P < 0.05) between five repetition sit to stand test, 10x5m shuttle run (r =0.457, P < 0.05) and WeeFIM but there is high correlation of (r =0.799, P< 0.05) between short term muscle power and WeeFIM.

The results found in present study may help in the implementing of exercise guidance interventions in order to enhance and maximize functional status in children with CP.