The impact of raising a child with a developmental or physical health condition in Ethiopia

Anne de Leeuw, Wietske A. Ester, Mersha Kinfe, Fikirte Girma, Rehana Abdurahman, Tigist Zerihun, Atsede Teklehaimanot, Charlotte Hanlon, Hans W. Hoek, Rosa A. Hoekstra*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract / Description of output

Objective Raising a child with a developmental disability or physical health condition can have a major impact on the lives of their families, especially in low-income countries. We explored the impact on such families in Ethiopia. Study design A total of 241 child-caregiver dyads were recruited from two public hospitals in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Of these, 139 children were diagnosed with a developmental disability (e.g. autism, intellectual disability) and 102 children with a physical health condition (e.g. malnutrition, severe HIV infection). The family quality of life was assessed using caregiver reports on the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory™ (PedsQL-FIM™). The disability weight score, which is a Global Burden of Disease measure to quantify health loss, was estimated for each child. Results Families with a child with a developmental disability reported lower quality of life than families caring for a child with a physical health condition (p 
Original languageEnglish
JournalResearch in Developmental Disabilities
Volume148
Early online date15 Mar 2024
DOIs
Publication statusE-pub ahead of print - 15 Mar 2024

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

  • Africa
  • Developing countries
  • Autism
  • Neurodevelopmental disorders
  • Quality of life
  • Family functioning and support

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