Determinants of Health-Related Quality of Life in School-Aged Children: A General Population Study in the Netherlands

Abstract

BackgroundHealth related quality of life is the functional effect of a medical condition and/or its therapy upon a patient, and as such is particularly suitable for describing the general health of children. The objective of this study was to identify and confirm potential determinants of health-related quality of life in children aged 4-11 years in the general population in the Netherlands. Understanding such determinants may provide insights into more targeted public health policy.MethodsAs part of a population based cross sectional study, the Child Health Questionnaire (CHQ) Parental Form 28 was used to measure health-related quality of life in school-aged children in a general population sample. Parents of 10,651 children aged 4-11 years were interviewed from January 2001 to December 2009.ResultsMultivariate and regression analyses demonstrated a declined CHQ Physical Summary score for children who had >1 conditions, disorders or acute health complaints and who were greater consumers of healthcare; children with a non-western immigrant background; and children whose parents did not work. Lower CHQ Psychosocial Summary score was reported for children who had >1 conditions, disorders or acute health complaints, boys, children of single parents and obese children.ConclusionThe best predictors of health-related quality of life are variables that describe use of health care and the number of disorders and health complaints. Nonetheless, a number of demographic, socio-economic and family/environmental determinants contribute to a child’s health-related quality of life as well.

Associations between Nausea, Vomiting, Fatigue and Health-Related Quality of Life of Women in Early Pregnancy: The Generation R Study

“…The Spearman correlation coefficient between nausea and vomiting was 0.50 (p<0.01); the coefficient between nausea and fatigue was 0.32 (p<0.01); the coefficient between vomiting and fatigue was 0.14 (p<0.01). Cohen’s effect sizes ( d ) were calculated by dividing the difference in mean scores among subgroups by largest SD and interpreted as: 0.2≤d<0.5 small difference, 0.5≤d<0.8 moderate difference, d≥0.8 large difference (see S2 Table) [38]. Multivariate linear regression was applied to assess the independent associations between nausea, vomiting, fatigue and scores of physical component summary and mental component summary by establishing a set of models.…”

Male gender, school attendance and sports participation are positively associated with health‐related quality of life in children and adolescents with congenital bleeding disorders

“…Thus, it is important to inform professionals and parents about the impact of school absence on HRQOL. Both aspects of sports and school absence fit within in the “activities & participation” factors of the International Classification of Functioning, disability and health (ICF) as developed by the World Health Organization (WHO), showing that participation is an important factor influencing HRQOL …”

“…A recent study in the United States on predictors of HRQOL in adolescents with CBD also found gender associated with HRQOL . Boys reporting higher HRQOL than girls have been demonstrated in (healthy) populations and partially explain the influence of gender on HRQOL. In addition, as mentioned earlier, the HRQOL of girls with CBD may be affected by heavy menstruations, and it is possible that this has a more immediate detrimental effect on HRQOL than the long‐term effects (eg arthropathy) associated with haemophilia, which may have not yet fully manifested in this population …”

“…40 41 showing that participation is an important factor influencing HRQOL. 37,38 Previous research in adolescents and young adults with CBD found that pain is strongly related to physical and mental HRQOL. 37 Unfortunately, we did not include pain in our study, which would be interesting to include in future research.…”

The role of loneliness in quality of life among children

“…Di Battista et al (2014) found that, in adolescents with traumatic brain damage, depression is a determinant of life quality in these adolescents. In a study by Houben-van Herten et al (2015), they conducted a study to determine life quality determinants about health in children aged 4-11 and they found that socio-economical, demographical, family/environmental factors have a contribution to life quality of children. Kupeli (2009), in the study assessing life quality of children with cancer, found that the disorder influence especially school functionality negatively.…”