title: Generic health-related quality of life instruments in children and adolescents: a qualitative analysis of content.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the extent of differences and similarities in content between heath-related quality of life (HRQOL) instruments for children and adolescents.
  
  
  METHODS
  A descriptive and explanatory qualitative approach was carried out. Instruments specifically designed for use with children or adolescents were included. To assure the validity of the findings a triangulation of the analysis and "member checking" were performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ten questionnaires were analyzed. All of them included items referring to physical, psychological, and social aspects of health. A relatively low number of categories explained the content of the questionnaires.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A reasonably coherent notion of HRQOL underlies instruments available for children and adolescents. HRQOL measurement in young people is still in its developmental step.
authors.affiliation: Catalan Agency for Health Technology Assessment and Research, Recinte Parc sanitari Pere Virgili, Esteve Terradas, 30 Edifici Mestral 1a Planta, Barcelona 08023, Spain. lrajmil@aatrm.catsalut.net
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rajmil
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Herdman
authors.forename: Maria-Jose
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Fernandez de Sanmamed
authors.forename: Symone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Detmar
authors.forename: Jeanet
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bruil
authors.forename: Ulrike
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Ravens-Sieberer
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bullinger
authors.forename: Marie-Claude
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Simeoni
authors.forename: Pascal
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Auquier
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002648:Child; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent; D002666:Psychology, Child; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000295:instrumentation*; D011788:Quality of Life; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*