Investigatıon of the fulfilment levels of the self-care skills of the children with cerebral palsy and affectional factors

The research has been carried out as comparative descriptive in order toinvestigate the fulfillment levels of the self-care skills of the children with cerebral palsyand affectional factors.The subjects of the research has been formed by the mothers of the 90 childrenwith cerebral palsy- 42 from 3-6 aged group, 48 from 7-18 aged group- coming to thecerebral palsy polyclinic of a university and a Private Education and RehabilitationCenter during data collecting period for 3 months. Data collected by using ?DescriptiveCharacteristics Questionnaire? and ?Self-care Questionnaire? have been evaluated byKruskal-Wallis, Mann Whitney U test and Correlation analysis.The mean of the self-care points in 3-6 aged group was 43,8±27,6 and in 7-18 agedgroup was 37,0± 24,3. Any difference wasn?t found between the mean of self-care pointsaccording to the fruquency of going to the rehabilitation weekly, the education of themother, the gender of the children in both groups and according to the number of thesisters or brothers, using of the medication that decrease spasticity in 3-6 aged group. Ameaningful difference has been determined at the degree of the spasticity between twogroups according to the presence of an additional health problem and the using of themedication that decrease spasticity in 7-18 aged group. Giving permission to selfcarepoints of the mother in 3-6 aged and 7-18 aged groups were 6,0 ±3,1 and 5,1 ±3,1respectively, supporting selfcare points of the mothers have been found insufficient as4,2 ±2,4 and 36 ±2,8.A positive relationship was found between the mean of selfcare points and themean of the age of the children of both groups, the mean of the giving permission tochildren to their self-care points of the mother, supporting/encouraging self-care pointsof the mothers in both groups and there was a meaningful relationship statistically. Apositive meanigful relationship was also found in 3-6 aged group between the mean ofthe self-care points and the age of the mother, no relationship was determined in 7-18aged group.The self-care levels of the children aren?t sufficient, the children and the mothersneed education/ support about this subject.Key Words: Cerebral palsy, Self-Care, Childi