• Rabia Seva Özkan and Ayşe Numanoğlu-Akbaş.
• Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Unit, Sivas Numune Hospital, 58140, Sivas, Turkey. seva.kantar@gmail.com.
• Ir J Med Sci. 2022 Oct 1; 191 (5): 2147-2154.

BackgroundMothers of children with motor disabilities face physical and emotional burdens.AimsThis study aimed to determine the physical activity levels, exercise-related barriers, and facilitators in mothers of children with motor disabilities and investigate the differences between the physical activity levels of mothers who have children with different motor functional status.MethodsIn this cross-sectional study, mothers were assessed with the Exercise Benefits/Barriers Scale (EBBS) and International Physical Activity Questionnaire short form (IPAQ-SF). The motor functional status of the children was classified by Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS), and the mothers were divided into two groups (GMFCS level I, II = mild motor disability n = 28, GMFCS level III-V = moderate-to-severe motor disability, n = 37) according to the motor level of their children.ResultsSixty-nine mothers (36.56 ± 7.25 65) were included in this study. None of the mothers had adequate levels of physical activity (0%). According to the EBBS, the most frequently reported exercise barrier was lack of time (mothers of children with mild motor disability n = 26, 92.85%, the mothers of children with moderate-to-severe motor disability n = 34, 91.89%). The physical activity levels of the mothers of children with mild motor disability were higher compared to the mothers of children with moderate-to-severe motor disability (p = 0.032).ConclusionThis study has revealed that the physical activity levels of mothers of children with motor disabilities are low, and this is related to the gross motor function level of the children. The focus should be on increasing the physical activity levels of mothers of children with motor disabilities.© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Royal Academy of Medicine in Ireland.

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