Background
Phenylketonuria (PKU) is a rare condition, and children diagnosed with PKU often face psycho-behavioral challenges, which can significantly impact their daily lives and social integration. Our objective was to evaluate the prevalence of psycho-behavioral difficulties and explore potential factors associated with their occurrence in PKU children aged 6–18 years.
Methods
From May 2022 to May 2024, we recruited 100 children with PKU using a questionnaire survey. Data were analyzed using STATA software and the R programming language.
Results
25% of children aged 6–18 years with PKU exhibited psycho-behavioral problems. Following multivariable adjustment, significant factors associated with these psycho-behavioral problems in the children were body mass index (BMI) (odds ratio, 95% CI, P: 95% CI: 1.135, 1.010–1.276, 0.033), age (3.169, 1.024–9.804, 0.045), pregnancy order (0.143, 0.033–0.607, 0.008), delivery order (0.041, 0.004–0.373, 0.005), mode of disease diagnosis (5.730, 1.935–16.963, 0.002), and dietary therapy pressure (3.321, 1.083–10.181, 0.036). A nomogram was constructed based on above significant factors, with descent prediction capability and accuracy.
Conclusions
Six factors were identified to be closely associated with psycho-behavioral problems in PKU children. Our findings provide insights into the risk profiles behind psycho-behavioral issues in PKU, potentially enabling the development of preventive strategies.