Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Self-perceived quality of life of children and adolescents with physical disabilities in Hong Kong

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

Abstract

Although illnesses and diseases are thought to adversely affect quality of life (QoL), whether children who have physical disabilities (PD) from a young age adapt to the effect of developmental disabilities has rarely been investigated. This study attempted to assess the subjective wellbeing, and examine the correlation between objective and subjective QoL, of children with PD. Using a self-reported non-disease-specific questionnaire, the QoL of 72 young persons (13.5 ± 2.0 years) with PD was contrasted with those who do not have disabilities (n=510; age-matched). MANOVA analyses revealed that the PD group had lower objective QoL score (63.0 ± 7.4 vs. 66.8 ± 5.7, p > 0.001) but the two groups were not significantly different in subjective QoL score (70.9 ± 11.4 vs. 69.6 ± 13.6, p=0.466). No correlation was found between objective and subjective QoL in the PD group (r ranged from 0.06 to 0.19), while weak to medium correlations (r ranged from 0.03 to 0.41) were observed for the controls. The apparent detachment of subjective feeling and objective circumstances in the PD group may reflect adjustment to developmental disabilities.

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

Abbreviations

ComQoL:

Comprehensive Quality of Life Scale

PD:

physical disability

%SM:

percent of scale maximum

References

  • MC Allen (2000) ArticleTitleDevelopmental outcome of neonatal intensive care: What questions are we asking? Current Opinion Pediatr 12 116–122

    Google Scholar 

  • McLaughlin JF, Bjornson KF. Quality of life and developmental disabilities. Dev Med Child Neurol 1998; 40: 435 (Editorial).

    Google Scholar 

  • GM Ronen MP Rosenbaum DL Streiner (2000) ArticleTitleOutcome measures in pediatric neurology: Why do we need them? J Child Neurol 15 275–280

    Google Scholar 

  • ME Msall MR Tremont (2000) ArticleTitleFunctional outcomes in self-care, mobility, communication, and learning in extremely low-birth weight infants. Clin Perinatal 27 381–401

    Google Scholar 

  • A Skowronska-Gardas (1999) ArticleTitleRadiotherapy of central nervous system tumors in young children: Benefits and pitfalls. Med Pediatr Oncol 33 572–576

    Google Scholar 

  • HA Palley V Van Hollen (2000) ArticleTitleLong-term care for people with developmental disabilities: A critical analysis. Health Soc Work 25 181–189

    Google Scholar 

  • R Tawfik A Dickson M Clarke AG Thomas (1997) ArticleTitleCaregivers’ perceptions following gastrostomy in severely disabled children with feeding problems. Dev Med Child Neurol 39 746–751

    Google Scholar 

  • JM Landgraf (2002) ArticleTitleQuality-of-life measures in chronic diseases in childhood (Book review). Qual Life Res 11 609–611

    Google Scholar 

  • C Eiser R Morse (2001) ArticleTitleA review of measures of quality of life for children with chronic illness. Arch Dis Child 84 205–211

    Google Scholar 

  • D Felce (1997) ArticleTitleDefining and applying the concept of quality of life. J Intell Disabil Res 41 IssueID2 126–135

    Google Scholar 

  • MA Connolly JA Johnson (1999) ArticleTitleMeasuring quality of life in paediatric patients. Pharmacoeconomics 16 605–625

    Google Scholar 

  • L Harding (2001) ArticleTitleChildren’s quality of life assessment: A review of generic and health related quality of life measures completed by children and adolescents. Clin Psychol Psychother 8 79–96

    Google Scholar 

  • RA Cummins (1995) ArticleTitleOn the trail of the gold standard for life satisfaction. Soc Indic Res 35 179–200

    Google Scholar 

  • C Eiser R Morse (2001) ArticleTitleCan parents rate their child’s health-related quality of life? Results of a systemic review. Qual Life Res 10 347–357

    Google Scholar 

  • DE Midgley TA Bradlee C Donohoe KP Kent EM Alonso (2000) ArticleTitleHealth-related quality of life in long-term survivors of pediatric liver transplantation. Liver Transplant 6 333–339

    Google Scholar 

  • IMP Gate C Kennedy J Stevenson (2002) ArticleTitleDisability and quality of life in spina bifida and hydrocephalus. Dev Med Child Neurol 44 317–322

    Google Scholar 

  • RA Cummins (1998) ArticleTitleThe second approximation to an international standard of life satisfaction. Soc Indic Res 43 308–334

    Google Scholar 

  • RA Cummins H Nistico (2002) ArticleTitleMaintaining life satisfaction: The role of positive cognitive bias. J Happiness Stud 3 37–69

    Google Scholar 

  • Cummins RA, Gullone E, Lau ALD. A model of subjective well being homeostasis: The role of personality. In: Gullone E & Cummins RA (eds), The Universality of Subjective Wellbeing Indicators 2002. Soc Ind Res Series, 2000; 7–46.

  • BR Hanestad G Albrektsen (1992) ArticleTitleThe stability of quality of life experience in people with Type 1 diabetes over a period of a year. J Adv Nurs 17 777–784

    Google Scholar 

  • B Headey A Wearing (1989) ArticleTitlePersonality, life events, and subjective well-being: Toward a dynamic equilibrium model. J Pers Soc Psychol 57 731–739

    Google Scholar 

  • E Suh E Diener (1996) ArticleTitleEvents and subjective well-being: Only recent events matter. J Pers Soc Psychol 70 1091–1102

    Google Scholar 

  • Cummins RA, Eckersley R, Lo SK, Okerstrom E, Hunter B, Davern M. Australian Unity Wellbeing Index: Report 9.0 The Wellbeing of Australians’ Melbourne: Australian Centre on Quality of Lite, School of Psychology, Deakin University 2004, ISBN 0 7300 IS 2609 4. http://acqol.deakin.edu.au/index_wellbeing/indexhtm.

  • Cummins RA. Comprehensive Quality of Life Scale – Student (Grade 7–12): ComQoL-S5. 5th ed. Melbourne: School of Psychology, Deakin University, 1997.

  • Rehabilitation Division. Rehabilitation programme plan. Hong Kong: Government Secretariat, 1999.

  • JW Varni M Seid CA Rode (1999) ArticleTitleThe PedsQL: Measurement model for the peditatric quality of life inventory. Med Care 37 126–139

    Google Scholar 

  • Cummins RA. The Comprehensive Quality of Life Scale: Development and evaluation. Proceedings. Health Outcomes and Quality of Life Measurement Conference. Australian Institute of Health Welfare 1995; 18–24 (reprinted in Health Outcomes Bulletin 7: 7–14).

  • RA Cummins (1996) ArticleTitleThe domains of life satisfaction: An attempt to order chaos. Soc Indic Res 38 303–332

    Google Scholar 

  • L Schwartz JM Engel MP Jensen (1999) ArticleTitlePain in persons with cerebral palsy. Archi Phys Med Rehab 80 1243–1246

    Google Scholar 

  • PB Sullivan (1997) ArticleTitleGastrointestinal problems in neurologically impaired child. Baillieres Clin Gastroenterol 11 529–546

    Google Scholar 

  • U Norrby J Carlsson E Beckung L Nordholm (1999) ArticleTitleSelf-assessment of wellbeing in a group of children with epilepsy. Seizure 8 228–234

    Google Scholar 

  • P Brickman D Coates R Janoff-Bulman (1978) ArticleTitleLottery winners and accident victims: Is happiness relative? J Pers Soc Psychol 36 917–927

    Google Scholar 

  • A Bowling M Farquhar E Grundy (1994) ArticleTitleAssociations with changes in level of functional ability. Results from a follow-up survey at two and a half years of people aged 85 years; and over at baseline interview. Ageing Soc 14 53–73

    Google Scholar 

  • Rigby K, McCarron L, Rigby J. Quality of Life in a Nursing Home: A Report on the Perceptions of Residents and Staff at Julia Farr Centre. Adelaide: South Australian Institute of Technology, 1990.

  • M Franz T Meyer T Reber B Gallhofer (2000) ArticleTitleThe importance of social comparisons for high levels of subjective quality of life in chronic schizophrenic patients. Qual Life Res 9 481–489

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Yuk Choi Road, Hung Hom, Hong Kong, China

    Susanna M. K. Chow

  2. The George Institute for International Health, University of Sydney, Australia

    Sing Kai Lo

  3. School of Psychology, Deakin University, Australia

    Robert A. Cummins

Authors
  1. Susanna M. K. Chow
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Sing Kai Lo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Robert A. Cummins
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Susanna M. K. Chow.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Chow, S.M.K., Lo, S.K. & Cummins, R.A. Self-perceived quality of life of children and adolescents with physical disabilities in Hong Kong. Qual Life Res 14, 415–423 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-004-0728-8

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-004-0728-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation