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Health related quality of life in 10-year-old schoolchildren

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Abstract

Objective

The purpose of this study was to investigate the health related quality of life (HRQL) in a total cohort of general school children.

Methods

The study population consisted of the children starting 4th grade (age 9–10) in Finnish primary schools in autumn 2004 (n = 1,346) and their parents in a city of 175,000 inhabitants. Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory™ 4.0 (PedsQL™ 4.0) was used for assessment of HRQL. The response rate was 81% for the children (n = 1,091). Most children had parents who participated (n = 999).

Results

The children reported highest HRQL mean values in physical (85.00, SD 10.95) and social (84.71, SD 14.28), and lowest in school (78.89, SD 14.53) and emotional (75.43, SD 15.67), functioning scales. Girls reported significantly lower emotional (t = −2.43, P = 0.02) functioning than boys. Child self reports show lower social (t = −2.57, P = 0.01) and school (t = −3.44, P = 0.0006) functioning, and higher emotional (t = 5.82, P < 0.0001) and physical (t = 4.79, P < 0.0001) functioning than their parent-proxy assessments.

Conclusions

Interventions aiming at supporting the emotional and school functioning of the school children are recommended. Parents may overestimate the social and school functioning and underestimate the physical and emotional functioning compared to their children’s own perceptions.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nursing Science, University of Turku, Turku, Finland

    Camilla Laaksonen & Sanna Salanterä

  2. Health Care Turku, City of Turku, Finland

    Minna Aromaa

  3. Paavo Nurmi Centre, University of Turku, Turku, Finland

    Olli J. Heinonen

  4. Institutions and Social Mechanisms (IASM), University of Turku, Turku, Finland

    Leena Koivusilta

  5. Centre for Research on Lifelong Learning and Education (CELE), University of Turku, Turku, Finland

    Pasi Koski

  6. Department of Public Health, University of Turku, Turku, Finland

    Sakari Suominen

  7. Department of Biostatistics, University of Turku, Turku, Finland

    Tero Vahlberg

Authors
  1. Camilla Laaksonen
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Correspondence to Camilla Laaksonen.

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Laaksonen, C., Aromaa, M., Heinonen, O.J. et al. Health related quality of life in 10-year-old schoolchildren. Qual Life Res 17, 1049–1054 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-008-9388-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-008-9388-4

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