{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,25]],"date-time":"2026-09-25T04:23:58Z","timestamp":1790310238162,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":37,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,7]],"date-time":"2026-04-07T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1775520000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosmentalhealth.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLOS Ment Health"],"abstract":"<jats:p>\n                    Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of permanent movement and posture disorders that cause activity limitations, resulting from non-progressive disturbances in the developing fetal or infant brain. Caregivers of children with CP reported higher levels of stress, despair, and back discomfort. In Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), caregivers of children with CP encounter complex, multidimensional challenges. While individual studies have examined the experiences of CP caregivers in SSA, no comprehensive review has yet synthesized evidence on their Health Related Quality of Life (HRQOL). Therefore, this SRMA aimed to synthesize evidence on the pooled mean estimate of HRQoL of caregivers of children with CP in Sub-Saharan Africa.A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar, supplemented by manual reference screening. Studies published between June 20 2000 and May 20 2025 in Sub-Saharan Africa, focusing on caregivers of children with cerebral palsy and their HRQoL, were included. Data were extracted using a standardized form, and quality was assessed via the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Random-effects meta-analysis was performed in STATA Version 17, with heterogeneity evaluated using Cochran\u2019s Q and I\n                    <jats:sup>2<\/jats:sup>\n                    statistics. Sensitivity analysis, subgroup analysis, and publication bias assessment (Begg\u2019s and Egger\u2019s tests) were conducted. The pooled mean of HRQoL of caregivers of cerebral palsy in Sub-Saharan Africa Countries is found to be 41.234 (95% CI: 23.315 to 59.154). The meta-analysis revealed significant regional disparities in HRQOL among CP caregivers in Sub-Saharan Africa. South Africa demonstrated superior and consistent outcomes (pooled mean: 67.52, I\n                    <jats:sup>2<\/jats:sup>\n                    \u2009=\u20095.39%), attributable to robust healthcare systems.Caregivers of children with cerebral palsy in SSA experience moderate to low HRQoL, with significant regional disparities. Policy interventions such as expanding financial support, mental health programs, and community-based respite care are urgently needed. Strengthening caregiver training and regional disability policies can reduce disparities. Sustained research is essential to develop scalable, culturally appropriate solutions for improving caregiver well-being across SSA.\n                  <\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pmen.0000541","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,7]],"date-time":"2026-04-07T17:31:32Z","timestamp":1775583092000},"page":"e0000541","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pmen.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Health-related quality of life among caregivers of children with cerebral palsy in Sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review and meta-analysis"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"3","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0004-5526-3454","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Jenberu Mekurianew","family":"Kelkay","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0006-8087-9845","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Desalegn Mitiku","family":"Kidie","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Abraham Dessie","family":"Gessesse","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Kaleab Tesfaye","family":"Tegegne","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Henok Dessie","family":"Wubneh","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Addisu Simachew","family":"Asgai","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Deje Sendek","family":"Anteneh","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,7]]},"reference":[{"issue":"12","key":"pmen.0000541.ref001","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1494","DOI":"10.1111\/dmcn.15346","article-title":"Global prevalence of cerebral palsy: A systematic analysis","volume":"64","author":"S McIntyre","year":"2022","journal-title":"Dev Med Child Neurol"},{"issue":"8","key":"pmen.0000541.ref002","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"571","DOI":"10.1017\/S001216220500112X","article-title":"Proposed definition and classification of cerebral palsy, April 2005","volume":"47","author":"M Bax","year":"2005","journal-title":"Dev Med Child Neurol"},{"issue":"1","key":"pmen.0000541.ref003","article-title":"Pooled prevalence of blindness in Ethiopia: a systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"7","author":"M Markos","year":"2022","journal-title":"BMJ Open Ophthalmol"},{"issue":"10","key":"pmen.0000541.ref004","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0258650","article-title":"The multifaceted care-seeking practices among caregivers of children with cerebral palsy: Perspectives from mothers and providers in Ghana","volume":"16","author":"V Fonzi","year":"2021","journal-title":"PLoS One"},{"issue":"3","key":"pmen.0000541.ref005","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"316","DOI":"10.3109\/13668250.2024.2446215","article-title":"Executive function is associated with behaviour problems in children and adolescents with cerebral palsy and intellectual disability","volume":"50","author":"X Li","year":"2025","journal-title":"J Intellect Dev Disabil"},{"key":"pmen.0000541.ref006","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"23","DOI":"10.1016\/j.pediatrneurol.2016.03.002","article-title":"Pediatric cerebral palsy in Botswana: etiology, outcomes, and comorbidities","volume":"59","author":"DR Bearden","year":"2016","journal-title":"Ped Neurol"},{"issue":"1","key":"pmen.0000541.ref007","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"63","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1365-2214.2009.00989.x","article-title":"The impact of caring for a child with cerebral palsy: quality of life for mothers and fathers","volume":"36","author":"E Davis","year":"2010","journal-title":"Child Care Health Dev"},{"key":"pmen.0000541.ref008","unstructured":"Boixad\u00f3s Angl\u00e8s M, Mu\u00f1oz Marr\u00f3n E, Redolar Ripoll DA, Guillamon Cano N, G\u00f3mez Z\u00fa\u00f1iga B, Hern\u00e0ndez Encuentra E, et al. 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