Effects of parental influence on physical activity level andparticipation in children with duchenne muscular dystrophy

This study was planned to investigate the parental influence on physical activity (PA) level and participation in ambulatory children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). For this purpose, 30 children with DMD between the ages of 8-18, who were between Levels 1-4 according to the Brooke Lower Extremity Functional Classification (BLEFC), were included in the study. The demographic information of the participants and their detailed information about the disease were recorded. Parents' PA level was assessed via International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ-SF); Children's PA level was assessed via Physical Activity Questionnaire for Children (PAQ-C) and pedometer, participation was assessed via Pediatric Outcomes Data Collection Instrument (PODCI), and parental influence was assessed via Children's Physical Activity Correlates (CPAC). Additionally, children's PA interest was assessed via Children's Attraction to Physical Activity (CAPA). SPSS 25 program was used in the statistical analysis of the evaluation results. The mean age of the individuals included in the study was found to be 8,70±0,84. Parental influence evaluations, positive and weak-moderate correlations were determined between CPAC Questionnaire "Parental Influence" sub-dimension with PAQ-C (r=0,582), CAPA (r=0,432) and PODCI (r=0,372) (p<0,05). A positive, moderate correlation was found between the PA levels of mothers obtained from IPAQ-SF and PAQ-C (r=0,526) (p<0,01). The results of the study show that the parents, especially the mother who is the primary caregiver, being a physically active role model as well as providing support and encouragement for physical activity can be an important factor to improve the PA levels, increase their attraction to PA and participation in children with DMD.