Quality of Life in a Saudi Arabian Sample of Parents and Caregivers of Children with Disabilities: A Cross-Sectional Analysis

Background: Raising a child with a disability can affect multiple dimensions of caregiver quality of life (QoL), but caregiver experiences vary according to child, family, and service characteristics. Objective: The objective of this study was to assess QoL in a Saudi Arabian sample of parents and caregivers of children with disabilities using the Arabic Multicultural Quality of Life Index (MQLI-Ar) and to examine factors associated with total MQLI score. Methods: In this exploratory cross-sectional study, 336 adult parents/caregivers were recruited through specialized disability centers and associated parent networks using non-probability convenience sampling. QoL was measured with the 10-item MQLI-Ar. Bivariate associations were examined using t-tests/ANOVA, and adjusted associations were evaluated using multivariable linear regression. For the multivariable model, disability status was represented by mutually exclusive diagnostic profiles. Results: Among 336 participants, 75.9% were mothers and 60.1% resided in the Makkah region. The mean total MQLI score was 7.08 (SD = 2.28). The primary model was significant (F(15,320) = 2.89, p < 0.001, R2 = 0.119) (adjusted R2 = 0.078), and diagnostic profile was associated with MQLI score overall (p = 0.004). Relative to the autism-only group, higher adjusted scores were observed for learning difficulties only (B = 1.22, p = 0.009) and other disability only (B = 0.78, p = 0.030); the remaining diagnostic-profile contrasts were not statistically significant. Conclusions: Overall QoL was moderate to high in this caregiver sample, but QoL differed across diagnostic profiles. These exploratory cross-sectional findings should be interpreted cautiously given the non-probability sample, geographic concentration, modest model explanatory power, and unmeasured clinical and caregiving factors.