Suchergebnisse

Background: Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is increasingly considered an important outcome variable in pediatric research. Despite the growing interest little is known about the relationship between HRQOL and other significant constructs such as coping with a chronic health condition. Objective: The current paper examined age, gender, and health condition effects on coping and HRQOL scales and explored the relationship between both constructs. Methods: A study with 295 children and adolescents (8-16 years) with three different chronic health conditions (asthma, diabetes mellitus, and arthritis) was conducted in five European countries. Coping was assessed with the CODI questionnaire and HRQOL with the chronic generic module of the DISABKIDS instrument set, which was developed within the European DISABKIDS study. Results: Significant gender differences were found for the Emotional Reaction and Acceptance scale of the CODI and the Physical and Emotion domain of HRQOL. Age differences were noted for the Wishful Thinking and Avoidance scale as well as the Emotion domain of HRQOL. Interaction effects between age and gender were not detected. Significant differences were also found regarding the type of chronic health condition and the coping scales Wishful Thinking and Distance, as well as Avoidance. Moderate significant correlations were found between the coping scales Emotional Reaction and Acceptance and the HRQOL scales. Conclusion: Gender, age, and health condition differences with regard to the use of different coping strategies need to be taken into consideration. Coping and HRQOL are closely related, especially regarding the Emotional domain where a potential overlap was noted. Here, a more precise separation of constructs is needed.

Der Zugewinn an Körpergröße ist für die Lebensqualität vieler heranwachsender Menschen von Bedeutung–eine geringe Körpergröße kann die Lebensqualität der Betroffenen beeinträchtigen. Weil krankheitsspezifische Instrumente zur Erfassung der Lebensqualität kleinwüchsiger Kinder und Jugendlicher bisher fehlen, wurde der international entwickelte QoLISSY Fragebogen in einer deutschen Stichprobe psychometrisch überprüft. Der QoLISSY Fragebogen wurde von 69 Kindern und Jugendlichen (8 bis 18 Jahre) mit diagnostiziertem Idiopatischen Kleinwuchs (ISS) oder Wachstumshormonmangel (GHD) ausgefüllt. Es wurden interne Konsistenzen und Test-Retest Reliabilitäten berechnet. Die konvergente Validität wurde über Korrelationen mit dem generischen KIDSCREEN 52 Fragebogen geprüft. Zudem wurden Gruppenunterschiede entsprechend klinischer und soziodemografischer Daten geprüft. Die Reliabilitäten der QoLISSY Skalen und des Gesamtwertes fielen zufriedenstellend aus, mit Cronbachs α von .77 bis .94 und akzeptablen Test-Retest Reliabilitäten (r) von .53 bis .87. Korrelationen mit inhaltlich ähnlichen Konzepten des KIDSCREEN 52 wiesen auf konvergente Validität hin. Mit dem QoLISSY Fragebogen können die subjektiven Auswirkungen des Kleinwuchses auf die gesundheitsbezogene Lebensqualität der jungen Betroffenen abgebildet werden. Das Instrument ist klinisch für ein präventives Belastungs-Screening, als Outcome-Kriterium in der Therapieforschung und als psychosozialer Indikator in epidemiologischen Studien einsetzbar.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the lives of children and adolescents worldwide. The German COPSY study is among the first population-based longitudinal studies to examine the mental health impact of the pandemic. The objective of the study was to assess changes in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and mental health in children and adolescents and to identify the associated risk and resource factors during the pandemic.
Methods: A nationwide longitudinal survey was conducted with two waves during the pandemic (May/June 2020 and December 2020/January 2021). In total, n = 1923 children and adolescents aged 7 to 17 years and their parents participated (retention rate from wave 1 to wave 2: 85%). The self-report and parent-proxy surveys assessed HRQoL (KIDSCREEN-10), mental health problems (SDQ with the subscales emotional problems, conduct problems, hyperactivity, and peer problems), anxiety (SCARED), depressive symptoms (CES-DC, PHQ-2) and psychosomatic complaints (HBSC-SCL). Mixed model panel regression analyses were conducted to examine longitudinal changes in mental health and to identify risk and resource factors.
Results: The HRQoL of children and adolescents decreased during the pandemic, and emotional problems, peer-related mental health problems, anxiety, depressive and psychosomatic symptoms increased over time, however the change in global mental health problems from wave 1 to wave 2 was not significant, and some changes were negligible. Socially disadvantaged children and children of mentally burdened parents were at particular risk of impaired mental health, while female gender and older age were associated with fewer mental health problems. A positive family climate and social support supported the mental health of children and adolescents during the pandemic.
Discussion: Health promotion, prevention and intervention strategies could support children and adolescents in coping with the pandemic and protect and maintain their mental health.