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A two-year prospective study of the health-related quality of life of children with chronic illness – the parents’ perspective

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Abstract

The aim of this study was to assess prospectively changes in the health-related quality of life (HRQL) of children and adolescents with diabetes, asthma or cystic fibrosis (CF). One hundred and twenty-two parents of children aged 10–16 years with asthma, diabetes, or CF were recruited from specialist paediatric clinics. Parents described their children’s HRQL using the Child Health Questionnaire (PF98) at baseline, 6, 12, 18 and 24 months post-baseline. They reported that the general health of children with CF was significantly worse than that of children with asthma and diabetes at baseline. In other domains there were few differences between the HRQL of children in the three groups. In several domains, the HRQL of children with asthma or diabetes improved over the 2years of the study. This improvement was less evident for children with CF.

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Abbreviations

HRQL:

health–related quality of life

CF:

cystic fibrosis

CHQ:

Child Health Questionnaire

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research and Evaluation Unit, and Department of Paediatrics, Women’s and Children’s Hospital, University of Adelaide, 72 King William Road, North Adelaide, SA 5006, Australia

    M. G. Sawyer & K. E. Reynolds

  2. Department of Paediatrics, University of Adelaide, Australia

    J. J. Couper & D. Kennedy

  3. Department of Psychology, University of Western Australia, Australia

    D. J. French

  4. Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Australia

    J. Martin & R. Staugas

  5. Public Health Research Unit and Department of Paediatrics,, Women’s and Children’s Hospital, University of Adelaide, Australia

    P. A. Baghurst

Authors
  1. M. G. Sawyer
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  2. K. E. Reynolds
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  3. J. J. Couper
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  4. D. J. French
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  5. D. Kennedy
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  6. J. Martin
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  7. R. Staugas
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  8. P. A. Baghurst
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to M. G. Sawyer.

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Sawyer, M.G., Reynolds, K.E., Couper, J.J. et al. A two-year prospective study of the health-related quality of life of children with chronic illness – the parents’ perspective. Qual Life Res 14, 395–405 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-004-0786-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-004-0786-y

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