INTRODUCTION: Children with Cerebral Palsy (CP) have disabilities and limitations that generate dependence in relation to their caregivers. OBJECTIVE: Assess whether the quality of life of caregivers of children with CP is related to motor impairment, economic class and education of the caregiver. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We interviewed 45 informal caregivers of children with CP using the WHOQOL-bref and economic classification of Associação Brasileira de Empresas de Pesquisas (Abep). Children were classified using the Gross Motor Function Classification System. We conducted tests of association and correlation of variables with domains of the WHOQOL-bref, using independent t test and Spearman correlation coefficient. RESULTS: A positive correlation was found between the environmental domain of WHOQOL-bref and economic status (0.56) and education of the caregiver (0.389). There were significant differences between subgroups of higher and lower economic class in the environmental (p = 0.001) and psychological (p = 0.031), and among subgroups of high and low level of education in the environmental field (p = 0.049). CONCLUSIONS: The quality of life of caregivers appears to be influenced by socioeconomic level and not by the level of motor function of children with CP.
Quality of life; Cerebral palsy; Caregivers; Social class
