Geographical patterns in the recreation and leisure participation of children and youth with cerebral palsy: A CAPE international collaborative network study

PURPOSE: To examine geographical variation in the leisure participation of children/youth with cerebral palsy (CP), using Children's Assessment of Participation and Enjoyment (CAPE) data from Australia, Canada (Ontario and Quebec) and the U.S. METHOD: Data from 1076 children/youth ages 6-20 years with CP were included. Analyses examined CAPE diversity scores in activity types as a function of region, age group and Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) group, controlling for family income, education and child gender. RESULTS: There were only two substantial geographical differences: children/youth from the U.S. took part in the fewest active physical activities; those from Ontario took part in the most self-improvement activities. The youngest age group took part in the most recreational activities, and those in GMFCS level IV/V had the lowest levels of participation in recreational, active physical and self-improvement activities, confirming previous findings. CONCLUSIONS: There were more similarities than differences in participation patterns for the three countries.