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Health-related quality of life of children and adolescents with functional disabilities in a northern Swedish county

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Abstract

Purpose

Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) studies in children and adolescents with disabilities tend to report lower self-reported health than in the typical population. However, reports are not always consistent and HRQoL appears to vary depending on diagnosis, cultural setting and clinical context. The aim of this study was to explore HRQoL in children and adolescents with various disabilities in Västerbotten County, Sweden.

Methods

A total of 175 children and adolescents [57 girls, 118 boys; mean age 11.7 years (range 7–17 years)] divided into four different diagnostic groups (intellectual disabilities, autism spectrum disorders, movement disorders and hearing disabilities) participated in the study. The EuroQol Five Dimensions Health Questionnaire, Youth version (EQ-5D-Y) was used as HRQoL measure.

Results

Significant differences in various EQ-5D-Y dimensions between the different diagnostic groups were found, but no differences in overall health status. HRQoL in children and adolescents with hearing disabilities was found similar to the typical child population in Sweden whereas children and adolescents with other diagnoses reported evidently more problems.

Conclusions

Findings suggest that there is an increased risk for children with functional disabilities other than hearing disabilities in northern Sweden to experience difficulties in various health domains and lowered general health.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by a young researcher award from Umeå University to the first author. We thank the children and their families for participating.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Umeå University, 901 87, Umeå, Sweden

    Erik Domellöf & Ludmilla Hedlund

  2. Kolbäcken Child Rehabilitation Centre, Umeå, Sweden

    Erik Domellöf

  3. Department of Medicine and Health Sciences, Physiotherapy, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden

    Pia Ödman

Authors
  1. Erik Domellöf
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  2. Ludmilla Hedlund
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  3. Pia Ödman
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Correspondence to Erik Domellöf.

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Domellöf, E., Hedlund, L. & Ödman, P. Health-related quality of life of children and adolescents with functional disabilities in a northern Swedish county. Qual Life Res 23, 1877–1882 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-013-0613-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-013-0613-4

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