The effects of illness and treatment of diabetes mellitus extend beyond medica l outcomes. We therefore evaluated health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in ch ildren (aged 8-12 years) and adolescents (aged 13-16 years) with type 1 diabet es to compare their results with healthy peers and to identify HRQOL determinant s. A total of 68 children and adolescents from a tertiary care clinic which spec ialises in the management of diabetes, completed the generic KINDL-R questionna ire. This instrument for children and adolescents has six dimensions and an addi tional module assessing condition-related HRQOL. Overall, the HRQOL was not dif ferent between patients with type 1 diabetes and healthy controls. In some areas , children and adolescents with diabetes reported a better HRQOL compared to hea lthy peers: adolescents reported better psychological wellbeing ( P 3 injections/ day) were associated with a better HRQOL in different domains ( P < 0.05). The s ubscale “chronic illness”showed a better HRQOL ( P < 0.001) in children and ad olescents with diabetes compared to age-matched controls with other chronic con ditions. Conclusion:Children and adolescents from a paediatric department specia lising in diabetes management report good health-related quality of life. Young er age, good metabolic control and intensified insulin therapy are associated wi th a better health-related quality of life. Dimensions of health-related quali ty of life appear to play different roles at different ages, emphasising the imp ortance of the multidimensional health-related quality of life concept and the value of age-appropriate self-reports.
展开▼
