CP-North - Living life with cerebral palsy in the Nordic countries

Background and goals

The Nordic countries are known for their welfare system. However, there is little knowledge of how persons with cerebral palsy (CP) live their life in these countries in terms of health, education, employment and socioeconomic status. In addition there is little known about the effects on parents having a child with CP. CP is the most common musculosceletal disability in childhood, it is lifelong with symptoms that vary from one individual to the next and the disability might change over time.

Objectives and benefits

The overall aim of this interprofessional research program is to explore how living with CP affects the children, adolescents and their family on an individual, family and societal level. We study i.a. health, education, labor market outcomes and socioeconomic status throughout the lifespan of the individual with CP and his/her family.

Results

Results so far have been published in different scientific journals. See: https://www.arcada.fi/en/research/resea…

Societal impact

The ethos and practice of welfare is based on the idea that disabled people do not have to be at work and the welfare state attempts to compensate this matter with the disability pension, which is common among youth/young adults with CP. Through this project we will be able to show how individuals with CP live their life in the Nordic countries.

Abstract

See https://www.arcada.fi/en/research/resea…

See also: Alriksson-Schmidt et al. CP North− Living life in the Nordic countries? A Retrospective Register Research Protocol on Individuals with Cerebral Palsy and their Parents Living in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, and Iceland. BMJ Open 2019 https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/9/10/e0… .

Alriksson-Schmidt A et al. Flaunting our assets. Making the most of the Nordic registry goldmine: Cerebral palsy as an example. Scandinavian Journal of Public Health 2019;https://doi.org/10.1177/1403494819829338