title: Health-related quality of life and sleep-disordered breathing in children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the extent to which sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is associated with impairment of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in children
  
  
  METHODS
  Observational study of pediatric participants in a longitudinal genetic-epidemiologic cohort study of SDB.
  
  
  METHODS
  Community-based; studies conducted at participants' homes
  
  
  METHODS
  298 children, aged 11.1 years +/- 3.5 SD; 54% females; 61% African-American or Other; 81% with a family member identified with laboratory-confirmed SDB.
  
  
  METHODS
  Not applicable
  
  
  RESULTS
  The HRQOL was assessed with the Child Health Questionnaire (CHQ-PF50), a 50-item parent-completed form that measures 14 multidimensional health concepts. Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) was assessed with ovemight in-home monitoring that recorded nasal-oral airflow, pulse oximetry, chest-wall impedance, and heart rate. Using logistic regression analyses, each CHQ scale outcome was analyzed independently for the effect of SDB, adjusting for other potential confounding variables and for family-correlated data. Significant differences in overall physical health and complaints of bodily pain were observed in children with generally mild levels of SDB. Relationships persisted after adjustment for age, gender, ethnicity, obesity, and asthma.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SDB in children is associated with measurably lower levels of specific dimensions of HRQOL in children. Decrements in HRQOL are measurable even for children with mild SDB, with increasing effects observed with more severe SDB.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106-6003, USA. clr14@po.cwru.edu
authors.forename: Carol L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Rosen
authors.forename: Tonya M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Palermo
authors.forename: Emma K
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Larkin
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Redline
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D011788:Quality of Life; D012891:Sleep Apnea Syndromes / Q000453:epidemiology*