Activities of Daily Living in Survivors of Childhood Brain Tumor

Catherine Demers; Isabelle Gélinas; Anne-Sophie Carret

doi:10.5014/ajot.2016.014993

Activities of Daily Living in Survivors of Childhood Brain Tumor

Am J Occup Ther. 2016 Jan-Feb;70(1):7001220040p1-8. doi: 10.5014/ajot.2016.014993.

Authors

Catherine Demers¹, Isabelle Gélinas², Anne-Sophie Carret³

Affiliations

¹ Catherine Demers, MSc, is Graduate Student, School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, and Occupational Therapist, Division of Haematology-Oncology, Sainte-Justine University Hospital Centre, Montreal, Quebec; catherine.demers@mail.mcgill.ca.
² Isabelle Gélinas, PhD, is Associate Professor, School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, and Researcher, Montreal Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation-Jewish Rehabilitation Hospital Research Site, Laval, Quebec.
³ Anne-Sophie Carret, MD, is Pediatric Haematologist-Oncologist, Division of Haematology-Oncology, Sainte-Justine University Hospital Centre, Montreal, Quebec.

PMID: 26709424
DOI: 10.5014/ajot.2016.014993

Abstract

Objective: This cross-sectional, descriptive study evaluated the performance in activities of daily living (ADLs) of youth and young adult survivors of childhood brain tumor (BT) and explored associations with health-related quality of life (HRQoL).

Method: Thirty-six participants were examined using the Assessment of Motor and Process Skills to evaluate their quality of ADL task performance and the Medical Outcomes Study 12-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12) to evaluate HRQoL.

Results: Participants had significantly lower performance in ADLs compared with age norms (p < .05), and their functional level was positively associated with the SF-12 Physical (r ² = .5) and Mental (r ² = .3) scales.

Conclusion: Participants had significant limitations in both motor and process skills, which affected their performance in ADLs. Study results emphasize the importance of long-term follow-up and rehabilitation services aimed at improving the functional level and HRQoL of BT survivors.