Factors Associated with Perceived Cognitive Problems in Children and Adolescents with Congenital Heart Disease

• DOI: 10.1007/s10880-012-9326-z
• Publication Date: 2012-09-03T11:47:23Z
• Authors: Christine A. Limbers; Kara Emery; Karen Uzark
• Keywords: Heart Defects, Congenital; Male; Observer Variation; Adolescent; Comorbidity; Severity of Illness Index; Proxy; 3. Good health; 03 medical and health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine; Socioeconomic Factors; Multivariate Analysis; Linear Models; Humans; Mass Screening; Female; Self Report; Sex Distribution; Child; Cognition Disorders; Ohio

The objective of the present study was to assess demographic and disease-specific factors associated with perceived cognitive problems in children and adolescents with heart disease. 246 children with congenital heart disease ages 8-18 years and their parents completed the Cognitive Problems Scale of the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory Cardiac Module. The 5-item Cognitive Problems Scale assesses school-related cognitive problems including attention and memory from the perspective of the child and parent. Multiple linear regression analysis was conducted with demographic variables and disease-specific factors entered as independent variables and perceived cognitive problems as the dependent variable. Socioeconomic status (SES) and cardiac disease severity were significantly associated with parent proxy-reported cognitive problems (p < .05). None of the demographic or disease-specific variables were significantly associated with child self-reported cognitive problems. In conclusion, our data suggest that assessment of perceived cognitive problems in children and adolescents with greater disease severity and from lower SES homes may facilitate early identification of children who need formal evaluation and interventions to address cognitive impairments.