Parents perceive that their children's adherence to home-based exercises, which are supervised by the parents, is more successful when the physiotherapist's style and the content of the exercise program are positively experienced. These findings reveal which issues should be considered when prescribing home exercise programs to children with physical disabilities. [Lillo-Navarro C, Medina-Mirapeix F, Escolar-Reina P, Montilla-Herrador J, Gomez-Arnaldos F, Oliveira-Sousa SL (2015) Parents of children with physical disabilities perceive that characteristics of home exercise programs and physiotherapists' teaching styles influence adherence: a qualitative study.Journal of Physiotherapy61: 81-86].

There is a lack of knowledge with regard to the adherence to different types of exercises prescribed for children with disabilities. The aim was to examine parents’ adherence to prescriptions of different types of home exercises; to identify associated factors related to the parents, the children and the environment, and to assess the relative influence of the behaviour of health professionals. Parents (393) were recruited from 18 early intervention centres. A cross-sectional survey using a self-reported questionnaire was used to examine whether three types of exercises (“flexibility exercises”, “neuromotor development training” and “body mechanics and postural stabilisation”) were prescribed in their home programs; if the child had received exercises according to a prescription; and items related to the parents, child, environment, and health professionals. The adherence rates were different among the types of exercises. Parents with low perception of barriers and high self-efficacy had a higher adherence to neuromotor development training and postural stabilization, whereas parents with a high level of knowledge increased their odds of adherence to flexibility exercises. Health professionals’ behaviour had a distinct influence on the adherence to different exercises. This study suggests the need to specifically consider the types of exercises prescribed in the management of adherence to home programs.

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HighlightsContinuity of care is a multidimensional construct.Three types of continuity are relevant for inpatients receiving rehabilitation.Management continuity is the component with the most negative experiences.Most problems experienced by the participants are aspects that can be modified.

The questionnaire has test-retest reliability, and the scales have internal consistency and convergent and discriminant validity. All of the scales are distinct and unidimensional.

Background Fatigue influences athletic performance and can also increase the risk of injury in sports, and most of the methods to evaluate it require an additional voluntary effort. Tensiomyography (TMG), which uses electrical stimulation and a displacement sensor to evaluate muscle contraction properties of one or more muscle bellies, has emerged as a technique that can assess the presence of peripheral and central fatigue without requiring additional voluntary efforts. However, the evaluation of the TMG’s ability to detect fatigue is limited, both at the level of muscle bellies and statistical methods. Thus, the aim of the present study was twofold: (i) to examine and compare the tensiomyographical responsiveness to quadriceps femoris (QF) fatigue by multiple statistical methods and (ii) to analyze sex differences in the variation produced by fatigue in TMG parameters. Methods Thirty-nine recreational athletes participated (19 males/20 females; aged 22 ± 2 years). TMG parameters of QF bellies and maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) were measured before and after a fatigue protocol. TMG parameters used were maximum radial deformation (Dm), contraction time between 10–90% of the Dm (Tc), contraction velocity between 10–90% (Vc) and of the first 10% (V10) of the Dm. Internal responsiveness of TMG to fatigue was analyzed by paired t-test and standardized response mean (SRM). External responsiveness was examined by correlations, regression models, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Results All TMG parameters, except for Tc of rectus femoris and vastus medialis, showed large internal responsiveness. In adjusted regression models by sex, only Dm and V10 of rectus femoris were statistically associated (p < 0.05) with b coefficients of 0.40 and 0.43, respectively. r2 explained the 22% of the total variance. In addition, these parameters could discriminate between QF with and without fatigue. Conclusion Since the QF is the main strength contributor during multiple physical activities, clinicians and trainers will be able to discriminate the presence of fatigue and the magnitude of changes in the QF strength by TMG evaluation.

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Aims and ObjectivesThe aim of this study is to explore the perceptions of parents of children with physical disabilities concerning the quality of their interaction with health professionals in early intervention programs.BackgroundDespite the consensus on the need for Patient and Family‐Centered Care, there are still difficulties when executing such care. The quality of interaction among patients, families, and professionals is essential to facilitate the implementation of the programs.DesignA qualitative descriptive study with thematic analysis using a Modified Grounded Theory approach.MethodsData were collected through seven focus groups with 28 parents of children with physical disabilities who were undergoing early intervention programs in three centres. The study followed the COREQ guidelines and checklist.ResultsTwo themes emerged from the experiences: ‘exchange of information and education’, which included all the activities, procedures, exercises and skills taught by the professionals to help parents care for their child; and ‘interpersonal skills’, which focused on the way the professional relates with the child and the parents. Several subthemes emerged within each theme.ConclusionsThis study identified which elements of the professional‐parent interaction are considered by parents when evaluating the quality of their interaction with the health care provider of their children.Relevance to Clinical PracticeThe results of this study bring to light certain behaviours and interactions that health professionals should consider in order to improve the perceptions of parents of children with disabilities regarding the quality of interaction in the context of early childhood intervention.Patient or Public ContributionParents contributed to the data collected. Early intervention professionals were involved in participant checking to ensure the rigour of the study.