Perceived Cause, Environmental Factors, and Consequences of Falls in Adults with Cerebral Palsy: A Preliminary Mixed Methods Study

الملخص EN

Objective.

Describe perceived cause, environmental influences, and consequences of falls or near-falls in ambulant adults with cerebral palsy (CP).

Methods.

Adults with CP completed postal surveys and follow-up semistructured interviews.

Surveys sought information on demographic data, self-nominated Gross Motor Function Classification Score (GMFCS-E&R), falls, and near-falls.

Interviews gathered additional information on falls experiences, near-falls, and physical and psychosocial consequences.

Results.

Thirty-four adults with CP participated.

Thirty-three participants reported at least one fall in the previous year.

Twenty-six participants reported near-falls.

Most commonly, falls occurred indoors, at home, and whilst engaged in nonhazardous ambulation.

Adults with CP experienced adverse falls consequences, lower limb injuries predominant (37%), and descriptions of fear, embarrassment, powerlessness, and isolation.

Discussion.

Adults with CP may experience injurious falls.

Further investigation into the impact of falls on health-related quality of life and effective remediation strategies is warranted to provide comprehensive falls prevention programs for this population.