Health-related quality of life in children with and without physical–mental multimorbidity

• DOI: 10.1007/s11136-021-02963-6
• Publication Date: 2021-07-31T05:02:48Z
• Authors: Mark A. Ferro; Saad A. Qureshi; Lilly Shanahan; Christiane Otto; Ulrike Ravens-Sie...
• Keywords: Parents; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; Adolescent; 10093 Institute of Psychology; Health Status; Mental Disorders; 4. Education; Environmental and Occupational Health; Multimorbidity; 2739 Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health; 3. Good health; 03 medical and health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine; Quality of Life; Humans; Public Health; 370 Education; 10. No inequality; 10190 Jacobs Center for Productive Youth Development

This study examined health-related quality of life (HRQL) in children across different physical illnesses; estimated parent-child agreement on HRQL reports; compared HRQL between children with and without physical-mental multimorbidity; and tested if multimorbidity was associated with HRQL.Children aged 6-16 years (mean = 11.1; n = 198) with one physical illness and their parents were recruited from a pediatric hospital. Physical illnesses were classified according to the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD)-10, mental illnesses were assessed using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview for Children and Adolescents, and HRQL was measured using the KIDSCREEN-27. Children who screened positive for ≥ 1 mental illness were classified as having physical-mental multimorbidity. χ2/t tests compared sample characteristics of children with vs. without multimorbidity; Kruskal-Wallis tests compared KIDSCREEN-27 scores across ICD-10 categories; interclass correlation coefficients estimated parent-child agreement; and multiple regression examined effects of the number of mental illnesses on HRQL.HRQL was similar across ICD-10 categories. Parent-child agreement was fair to good for all HRQL domains, regardless of multimorbidity status. Parent-reported HRQL was significantly lower for children with multimorbidity compared to norms across all domains, whereas child-reported HRQL was significantly lower for physical well-being, psychological well-being, and school environment. Number of mental illnesses was negatively associated with psychological well-being and school environment in a dose-response manner.Children with physical-mental multimorbidity are vulnerable to experiencing lower HRQL, particularly for psychological well-being and school environment. Longitudinal studies documenting trajectories of HRQL and school-based interventions that target these domains of HRQL for children with multimorbidity are warranted.