Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Adolescence and short stature: factors in adjustment to the diagnosis

  • Published:
Quality of Life Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Adolescence is a time of change when suffering from a medical condition such as short stature can impact the emotional well-being of adolescents. Our objective was to study the adjustment of adolescents with short stature (SS), analyzing the factors influencing it.

Method

In this cross-sectional study, we evaluated 101 adolescents with SS from different hospitals in Valencia, Spain, using instruments validated for the sample: anxious and depressive symptomatology (as a diagnostic adjustment measure), psychopathology, self-esteem, physical self-concept, psychological well-being, and parenting styles. Descriptive analyses, t-tests for independent samples, Pearson correlations, hierarchical regressions, and fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis models (fsQCA) were performed.

Results

Emotional (β = 0.44; p  = 0.001) and hyperactive (β = 0.20; p = 0.001) symptoms predicted anxiety, emotional symptomatology (β = 0.25; p = 0.022), self-esteem (β = − 0.37; p = 0.001), and promotion of autonomy (β = 0.30; p = 0.001) predicted depression, and hyperactivity (β = 0.45; p = 0.001), self-esteem (β = − 0.43; p = .001), and humor (β = − 0.36; p = 0.001) predicted emotional distress. The fsQCA results show that none of the variables is a necessary condition for anxiety, depression, or emotional distress. However, different combinations of these variables are sufficient conditions to explain 85% of the high levels of anxiety, 81% of the low levels, 62% of the high levels of depression, 64% of the low levels of depression, and 74% of the high levels of emotional distress and 61% of the low levels. The most important variables in the fsQCA models were symptomatology, self-esteem, and parental styles.

Conclusion

The patient’s family dynamics, self-esteem, and emotional difficulties were the most relevant factors in predicting adjustment.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Martín-Cilleros, M.V. (2013). Adolescencia. In: En Navarro-Pardo, E. (Ed.), Psicología del desarrollo. Infancia y adolescencia (pp. 193–218). Publidisa.

  2. Viñas-Poch, F., González Carrasco, M., García Moreno, Y., Malo Cerrato, S., & Casas Aznar, F. (2015). Los estilos y estrategias de afrontamiento y su relación con el bienestar personal en una muestra de adolescentes. Anales de psicología, 31(1), 226–233. https://doi.org/10.6018/analesps.31.1.163681

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Coscollá, A., Caro, I., Calvo, I., & López, B. (2008). Estado psicológico de los adolescentes con enfermedades reumáticas: una primera aproximación. Revista de psicopatología y psicología clínica, 13(2), 97–109. https://doi.org/10.5944/rppc.vol.13.num.2.2008.4053

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Glazebrook, C., Hollis, C., Heussler, H., Goodman, R., & Coates, L. (2003). Detecting emotional and behavioural problems in paediatric clinics. The Child, 29(2), 141–149. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2214.2003.00324.x

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Chueca, M. J., Berrede, S., & Oyarzábal, M. (2008). Talla baja y enfermedades raras. Anales del Sistema Sanitario de Navarra, 31, 31–53.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. García, E. (2010). Evidencias en el tratamiento con hormona del crecimiento. Nuevas indicaciones. En Asociación Española de Pediatría (Eds). Curso de Actualización Pediatría (pp. 55–64). Exlibris.

  7. Pombo, M., Castro-Feijóo, L., & Cabanas, P. (2011). El niño de talla baja. Protocolos diagnósticos y terapéuticos en pediatría, 1, 236–254.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Thomsett, M. J. (2010). The spectrum of clinical paediatric endocrinology: 28 years of referrals to an individual consultant. Journal Paediatrics and Child Health, 46, 304–309. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1440-1754.2010.01713.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Sevilla, P., Alija, M. J., & Arriola, G. (2015). Análisis de la demanda asistencial en endocrinología pediátrica en una consulta hospitalaria. Acta Pediatrica Española, 73(7), 165–170.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Zayed, A. A., Beano, A. M., Haddadin, F. I., Radwan, S. S., Allauzy, S. A., Alkhayyat, M. M., & Yousef, A. F. (2016). Prevalence of short stature, underweight, overweight, and obesity among school children in Jordan. BMC Public Health, 16, 1040. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-016-3687-4

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  11. García, L., Carrascosa, A., Caveda, E., Del Valle, J., Duque, N., & Ferrández, A. (2009). Prevalence of idiopathic Short Stature in a pediatric population attending endocrinology clinics in Spain (P01-077). LWPE-ESPE.

  12. Kemp, S. T. F. (2005). Growth hormone treatment of idiopatihic short stature. History and demographic data from the NCGS. Growth Hormone IGF Research, 15(A), S9-12.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Poletti, O. H., & Barrios, L. (2001). Estudio de prevalencia de talla baja y factores de riesgo relacionados en escolares de Corrientes (Argentina). Anales de Pediatría, 55(4), 300–304. https://doi.org/10.1016/s1695-4033(01)77689-8

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Mouza, M. I., Herbish, A. B., Salloum, A. A., Foster, P. J., Omer, A. A., & Qurachi, M. M. (2011). Prevalence of short stature in Saudi children and adolescents. Annals of Saudi medicine, 31(5), 498–501. https://doi.org/10.4103/0256-4947.84628

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Diago, J., Carrascosa, A., del Valle, C., Fernández, A., Gracia, R., & Pombo, A. (2006). Talla baja idiopática: definición y tratamiento. Anales de Pediatría, 64(4), 360–364. https://doi.org/10.1157/13086525

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Muñoz, A., Fernández, J.M, Úberos, J., & Ruiz, C. (2001). Endocrinología infantil. Formación Alcalá.

  17. Ceñal, M. J. (2009). Dilemas diagnósticos y terapéuticos en talla baja. Revista Pediatría de Atención Primaria, 11, 155–172.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Diéguez, C., & Yturriaga, R. (2005). Crecimiento. McGraw-Hill.

    Google Scholar 

  19. Sommer, R., Bullinger, M., Rohenkohl, A., Quitmann, J., & Brütt, A. L. (2015). Linking a short-stature specific health-related quality of life measure (QoLISSY) to the International Classification of Functioning-Children and Youth (ICF-CY). Disability and Rehabilitation, 37(5), 439–446. https://doi.org/10.3109/09638288.2014.923528

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Bullinger, M., Quitmann, J., Power, M., Herdman, M., Mimoun, E., DeBusk, K., Feigerlova, E., Lunde, C., Dellenmark-Blom, M., Sanz, D., Rohenkohl, A., Pleil, A., Wollmann, H., & Rohenkohl, A. (2013). Assessing the quality of life of health-referred children and adolescents with short stature: development and psychometric testing of the QoLISSY instrument. Health and Quality of Life Outcomes, 11(1), 76. https://doi.org/10.1186/1477-7525-11-76

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  21. Martínez, M., Cabello, E., Miranda, B., Villafuerte, S., Gonzalez, I., & Cabello, A. (2016). Self-esteem level in teenagers with short stature. Hormone Research in Paediatrics, 86, 34–34.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Wheeler, P. G., Bresnahan, K., Shephard, B. A., Lau, J., & Balk, E. M. (2004). Short stature and functional impairment: A systematic review. Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, 158, 236–243. https://doi.org/10.1001/archpedi.158.3.236

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Bullinger, M., Kołtowska-Häggström, M., Sandberg, D., Chaplin, J., Wollmann, H., Noeker, M., & Brütt, A. L. (2009). Health-related quality of life of children and adolescents with growth hormone deficiency or idiopathic short stature—Part 2: Available results and future directions. Hormone Research, 72(2), 74–81. https://doi.org/10.1159/000232159

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Noeker, M. (2011). Psychological functioning in idiopathic short stature. Hormone Research in Paediatrics, 76(3), 52–55. https://doi.org/10.1159/000330163

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Abdullah, N., Drummond, P., Gray, N., Al-Khalidi, O., Barry, R., & Cheetham, T. (2009). Short stature: Increased in children with severe learning disability. The Child, 35, 266–270.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Jafari-Adli, S., Qorbani, M., Heshmat, R., Ranjbar, S. H., Taheri, E., Motlagh, M. E., & Safiri, S. (2016). Association of short stature with life satisfaction and self-rated health in children and adolescents: the CASPIAN-IV study. Journal of Pediatric Endocrinology and Metabolism, 29(11), 1299–1306. https://doi.org/10.1515/jpem-2016-0215

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Sandberg, D. E., & Colsman, M. (2005). Growth hormone treatment of short stature: Status of the quality of life rationale. Hormone Research, 63, 275–283.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Quitmann, J., Behncke, J., Dörr, H. G., Willig, R. P., Wüsthof, A., Stahnke, N., Rohenkohl, A., et al. (2012). Gesundheitsbezogene Lebensqualität und psychische Gesundheit von kleinwüchsigen Kindern und Jugendlichen. Zeitschrift für Medizinische Psychologie, 21(3), 132–139.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Rohenkohl, A., Stalman, S., Kamp, G., Bullinger, M., & Quitmann, J. (2016). Psychometric performance of the Quality of Life in Short Stature Youth (QoLISSY) questionnaire in the Netherlands. European Journal of Pediatrics, 175(3), 347–354. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-015-2656-8

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Bai, B. Y., Liu, X. X., Shang, S. J., Zhong, N., & Zhang, Q. P. (2016). Body shortness lowers belief in a just world: The mediating role of life satisfaction. Personality and Individual Differences, 101, 366–370. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2016.06.027

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Kranzler, J. H., Rosenbloom, A. L., Proctor, B., Frank, B., Diamond, J., & Watson, M. (2000). Is short stature a handicap? A comparison of the psychosocial functioning of referred and nonreferred children with normal short stature and children with normal stature. The Journal of Pediatrics, 136(1), 96–102. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-3476(00)90057-X

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Visser-van Balen, H., Sinnema, G., & Geenen, R. (2006). Growing up with idiopatic short stature: Psychosocial development and hormone treatment: A critical review. Archives of Disease in Childhood, 91, 433–439. https://doi.org/10.1136/adc.2005.086942

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Sohn, K. (2016). Height and happiness in a developing country. Journal of Happiness Studies, 17(1), 1–23. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-014-9566-8

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Manfredini, M., Breschi, M., Fornasin, A., & Seghieri, C. (2013). Height, socioeconomic status and marriage in Italy around 1900. Economics and Human Biology, 11(4), 465–473.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. Case, A., & Paxson, C. (2008). Stature and status: Height, ability, and labor market outcomes. Journal of Political Economy, 116(3), 499–532. https://doi.org/10.1257/aer.98.2.463

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Ong, K. K., Hardy, R., Shah, I., & Kuh, D. (2013). Childhood stunting and mortality between 36 and 64 years: The British 1946 Birth Cohort Study. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 98(5), 2070–2077. https://doi.org/10.1210/jc.2012-3595

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Zigmond, A. S., & Snaith, R. P. (1983). The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 67, 361–370. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0447.1983.SS09716.x

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  38. Valero-Moreno, S., Lacomba-Trejo, L., Casaña-Granell, S., Prado-Gascó, V., Montoya-Castilla, I., & Pérez-Marín, M. (2019). La estrucutra factorial de la Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale en pacientes adolescentes con enfermedad crónica. Archivos argentinos de Pediatría. https://doi.org/10.5546/aap.2019.eng.252

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. Goodman, R. (1997). The strengths and difficulties questionnaire: A research note. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 38(5), 581–586. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7610.1997.SS01545.x

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  40. Gómez-Beneyto, M., Nolasco, A., Moncho, J., Pereyra-Zamora, P., Tamayo-Fonseca, N., Munarriz, M., Salazar, J., Tabarés-Seisdedos, R., & Girón, M. (2013). Psychometric behaviour of the strengths and difficulties questionnaire (SDQ) in the Spanish national health survey 2006. BMC Psychiatry, 13, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-244X-13-95

    Article  Google Scholar 

  41. Casullo, M. M., & Castro, A. (2000). Evaluación del bienestar psicológico en estudiantes adolescentes argentinos. Revista de Psicología, 18(1), 35–68.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  42. Lloret-Segura, S., Ferreres-Traver, A., Hernández-Baeza, A., & Tomás-Marco, A. H. I. (2014). El análisis factorial exploratorio de los ítems: una guía práctica, revisada y actualizada Introducción Determinación de la adecuación del Análisis. Anales de Psicología, 30(3), 1151–1169. https://doi.org/10.6018/analesps.30.3.199361

    Article  Google Scholar 

  43. Rosenberg, M. (1965). La autoimagen del adolescente y la sociedad. Paidós.

  44. Atienza, F. L., Moreno, Y., & Balaguer, I. (2000). Análisis de la dimensionalidad de la Escala de Autoestima de Rosenberg en una muestra de adolescentes valencianos. Revista de Psicología. Universitas Tarraconensis, 2(1–2), 29–42.

    Google Scholar 

  45. García, B. (2001). Cuestionario de Autoconcepto GARLEY CAG. Versión 1.0. Instituto de Orientación Psicológica EOS. Exilibris.

  46. Cruz, J. (2013). Propiedades Psicométricas del Cuestionario Autoconcepto Garley en adolescentes del Distrito de Chocope. (Bachelors Thesis). University Cesar Vallejo.

  47. León, A. Y. R. (2016). Propiedades psicométricas del cuestionario de autoconcepto garley en alumnos de nivel secundaria del porvenir. Revista de investigación de estudiantes de psicología Jang, 4(2), 8–32.

    Google Scholar 

  48. Salgado, A. (2005). Métodos para medir la resiliencia: Una alternativa peruana. Liberalit, Revista de Psicología, 11, 41–48.

    Google Scholar 

  49. Rosati, G., & Chazarreta, A. (2017). El Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) como herramienta analítica Dos aplicaciones para el análisis de entrevistas. Revista Latinoamericana de Metodología de las Ciencias Sociales, 7(1), 18.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  50. Claude, R., & Christopher, R. (2014). Acq [Computer Programme]. University of Houston-Downtown.

  51. Eng, S., & Woodside, A. G. (2012). Configural analysis of the drinking man: Fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analyses. Addictive Behaviour, 37, 541–543. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2011.11.034

    Article  Google Scholar 

  52. Ragin, C.C. (2008). Redesigning social inquiry: Fuzzy sets and beyond. University of Chicago Press.

  53. Seawright, J. (2005). Qualitative comparative analysis vis-a-vis regression. Stududies in Comparative International Development (SCID), 40, 3–26. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02686284

    Article  Google Scholar 

  54. Vis, B. (2012). The comparative advantages of fsQCA and regression analysis for moderately large-N analyses. Sociological Methods Research., 41, 168–198. https://doi.org/10.1177/0049124112442142

    Article  Google Scholar 

  55. Legewie, N. (2013). An introduction to applied data analysis with qualitative comparative analysis (QCA). Forum Quality Society Research, 14, 1–45. https://doi.org/10.17169/FQS-14.3.1961

    Article  Google Scholar 

  56. Boquera, J. M., Martínez-Rico, G., Pérez-Campos, C., & Prado-Gascó, V. J. (2016). Evaluación de eventos deportivos por el deportista con discapacidad: aporte individual (Modelos de regresión) vs. Interacción (Qca). Rev. Psicol. Deport., 25, 85–88.

    Google Scholar 

  57. Navarro-Mateu, D., Alonso-Larza, L., Gómez-Domínguez, M. T., Prado-Gascó, V., & Valero-Moreno, S. (2020). I’m not good for anything and that’s why i’m stressed: Analysis of the effect of self-efficacy and emotional intelligence on student stress using SEM and QCA. Frontiers in Psychology. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00295

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  58. Morawska, A., Calam, R., & Fraser, J. (2015). Parenting interventions for childhood chronic illness: A review and recommendations for intervention design and delivery. Journal of Child Health Care, 19(1), 5–17. https://doi.org/10.1177/1367493513496664

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  59. Pinheiro-Mota, C., & Mena-Matos, P. (2014). Parents, teachers and peers: Contributions to self-esteem and coping in adolescents. Anales de Psicología, 30(2), 656–666. https://doi.org/10.6018/analesps.30.2.161521

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Funding

Laura Lacomba-Trejo is a beneficiary of the "Attraction of Talent" pre-doctoral research staff training grant from the University of Valencia (Grant No. 0113/2018).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Personality, Assessment and Psychological Treatment, Faculty of Psychology, University of Valencia, Av. Blasco Ibánez, 21, 46010, Valencia, Spain

    Sara Casaña-Granell, Laura Lacomba-Trejo, Inmaculada Montoya-Castilla & Marián Pérez-Marín

Authors
  1. Sara Casaña-Granell
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Laura Lacomba-Trejo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Inmaculada Montoya-Castilla
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Marián Pérez-Marín
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection, and analysis were performed by SC-G, LL-T, IM-C, and MP-M. The first draft of the manuscript was written by SC-G and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Marián Pérez-Marín.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they do not have any conflicts of interest.

Ethical approval

This study was performed in accordance with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. Approval was granted by the Ethics Committee of University of Valencia Review Board (IRB) (Date. 02-03-2015/No. H141815452530).

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from legal guardians of the participants in the study, following the Helsinki Declaration (2013).

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Casaña-Granell, S., Lacomba-Trejo, L., Montoya-Castilla, I. et al. Adolescence and short stature: factors in adjustment to the diagnosis. Qual Life Res 30, 2275–2286 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-021-02798-1

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-021-02798-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation