Health-related Quality of Life in Children with Chronic Diseases at Thammasat University Hospital
Paskorn Sritipsukho MD*, Jureebhorn Poomsitong MD*
Affiliation : * Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Thammasat University, Pathumthani, Thailand
Objective : The present study aimed to examine the level of health related quality of life in pediatric patients with common
chronic diseases who sought care at Thammasat University Hospital.
Material and Method: Cross sectional study in 134 patients aged 2-18, who visited department of pediatrics at Thammasat
University Hospital were performed. Health related quality of life was evaluated using Thai version of Pediatric Quality of
Life Inventory 4.0 Generic Core Scales (PedsQLTM 4.0). For children aged 2-4 and 5-18, the questionnaire was answered by
their guardians and by themselves and their guardians, respectively. The present study evaluated health related quality of life
in four aspects: physical, emotional, social and school functioning. Points were then pooled and divided into three categories,
namely total, physical health summary and psychosocial health summary scale scores. Each category could have a maximum
score of 100.
Results : The mean total scale score from the questionnaire answering by guardians was highest in allergic rhinitis (77.6 +
12.1). Physical and psychosocial scale scores were 81.7 + 16.8 and 75.4 + 12.5. Total scale scores in asthma, chronic renal
diseases, leukemia and lymphoma, and congenital heart defects were 73.8 + 14.7, 73.5 + 18.9, 64.5 + 14.0 and 76.2 + 19.6,
respectively. Cerebral palsy had the lowest total scale score of 27.1 + 16.7 with physical and psychosocial scale scores of 16.9
+ 7.5 and 33.0 + 23.2, respectively. When patients answered the questionnaire by themselves, it was found that allergic
rhinitis had the highest total scale score (79.5 + 13.2). Total scale scores in asthma, chronic renal diseases, leukemia and
lymphoma, and heart diseases were 75.2 + 16.4, 76.3 + 16.2, 70.5 + 9.4 and 72.4 + 22.7, respectively. Cerebral palsy had
the lowest scale scores in all categories, with total scale score of 46.1 + 14.6, physical scale score of 23.4 + 6.6 and
psychosocial scale score of 58.3 + 18.8.
Conclusion : Among chronic diseases, cerebral palsy has the lowest health related quality of life scale scores in all categories,
namely total, physical and psychosocial health summary.
Keywords : Quality of life, PedsQL, Chronic disease
