Compliance with home rehabilitation therapy by parents of children with disabilities in Jews and Bedouin in Israel

Abstract

Among key points in making progress and succeeding with a therapeutic programme for children with disabilities is parental compliance with the regime for their child. The purpose of this study was to evaluate factors influencing compliance with home therapy in the Jewish and Bedouin populations. Data were collected by structured questionnaires. A total of 193 families participated (84% response rate) with children who ranged in age from 6 months to 6 years (mean age at first visit to the centre was 9.5 years in Jews and 16.1 years in Bedouin). Compliance was significantly lower among the Bedouin. Multivariate regression analysis showed that the strongest contributory factor in lack of compliance was being Bedouin. The second factor was intensity of questioning destiny, indicating that parents with these feelings may be less likely to comply with therapeutic regimes. Other factors which were associated with compliance were parents' education and socioeconomic status: lower levels on these dimensions corresponded with lower parental compliance. These results were illuminated by a trial intervention programme for Bedouin families which involved telephone contact, translation facilities, and detailed explanations during visits to the centre. Intervention increased the compliance rate of the Bedouin appointments with specialists to 76% (91 of 120 appointments) thereby reaching similar levels to those of the Jewish group. These preliminary results indicate that the strong association between noncompliance and being Bedouin may be due to factors of communication, and that the Bedouin are receptive to therapeutic interventions when communicated in their own language.

Ethnicity, Progressive Keratoconus, and Outcomes after Corneal Cross-Linking in Southern Israel

“…Studies regarding compliance among the Bedouin population in a variety of diseases and disorders (e.g., cardiovascular disorders [38], diabetes mellitus [39], and genetic screening tests [40]) have concluded that compliance in this population is lower than in the Jewish population. Lower mean levels of corneal characteristics among the Bedouin group (see Table 2) can be explained via this fact also.…”

Participation in leisure activities by Arab adults with intellectual disabilities living in the community

“…Earlier studies have shown that shared leisure activities among individuals with intellectual disabilities are mostly with staff or with friends with a disability (Hayden et al., 1996). Formal settings facilitate connections with staff or friends with a disability, but members of the Arab population, like other minority groups, seldom turn to formal services (Duvdevany & Abboud, 2003; Galil et al., 2001; Lubetzky et al., 2004; Schwartz et al., 2002). This situation has several explanations, both cultural and environmental.…”

Perceptions Regarding Medical Management of Clubfoot in Kenya

“…Similarly, Gail, Carmel, Lubetzky, Vered and Heiman (2001) describe parents/caregivers compliance to rehabilitation as the ability of the parents/caregivers to abide by the requirements of rehabilitation treatment. These include following instructions, accepting restrictions and adhering to the appointments.…”