PREDICTION OF LIFE EXPECTANCY OF WOMEN WITH CHILDREN WITH CEREBRAL PALSY BASED ON CARE BURDEN, LONELINESS, AND SOCIAL ADJUSTMENT

Hope is one of the most critical components for mothers with disabled children. The present study aimed to predict life expectancy based on care burden, loneliness, and social adjustment in mothers who have children with cerebral palsy in Khorram Abad city.

This descriptive research was cross-sectional and correlational design. The study population includes all mothers with children with cerebral palsy who had a medical record in the welfare centers of Khorram Abad City in 2019. In this study, 50 mothers were selected using convenience sampling methods. The data were analyzed by Pearson's correlation and multiple regression analysis using SPSS version 19 software.

The results showed significant negative correlations between care burden and loneliness with life expectancy and a significant positive correlation between social adjustment and life expectancy in women who have children with cerebral palsy (P ≤0.001). The results of multiple regression showed that research variables can explain 54% of life expectancy variance.

It can be said that in the women with children with cerebral palsy, the lower the pressure of caring and the feeling of loneliness, the higher their social adaptation and life expectancy. Thus, welfare organizations should use strategies to increase the life expectancy of these women.