Abstract

Background: The involvement of parents in compliance to treatment regime and home program may not be properly achieved where there is marital discord or separation. Despite the high growth of marital conflicts,and high number of children with cerebral palsy, there seems to be a death of research on the influence of marital discord on compliance to physiotherapy appointment in Kano state (Nigeria).Objectives: This study was to find out the influence of marital discord on compliance to physiotherapy appointment for caregivers of children with cerebral palsy in Kano metropolis.Methods: In this cross-sectional survey, Seventy-four (74) participants were recruited from Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital,Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital and Hasiya Bayero Pediatric Hospital using purposive sampling technique. Case notes of the patients and closed ended questionnaire were used to collect data from the patients’ caregivers. Descriptive statistics of means and standard deviation in form of percentages, tables and graphs were used to summarize the results. Inferential statistics of Chi-square (at 5% level of significance), was employed to determine the associations between pairs of categorical variables in the study.Results: It was found out that there is statistically significant association between marital discord and compliance to physiotherapy appointment( p-value=0.001). The most predominant type of CP was found to be mixed CP 52(70.3%), the most common co-morbid condition associated with CP was speech problem and the commonest aetiological factor was birth asphyxia 31(41.9%). Conclusion: Marital discord among caregivers of children with cerebral palsy has influence on their compliance to physiotherapy appointment for management.

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