Early childhood factors influencing health-related quality of life in adolescents at 13 years.
OBJECTIVE
To understand the relationship of health-related quality of life (HR-QOL) to early life experience.


METHODS
Eight thousand five hundred and fifty-six women enrolled in a prospective study at their first antenatal clinic visit. At 13 years, of 5345 women remaining, a consecutive sample of 901 mother/child pairs provided data on adolescent HR-QOL using the Child Health Questionnaire-Parent Report form (CHQ-PF50) and the Dartmouth COOP Functional Assessment Charts for Adolescents. The CHQ-PF50 yielded physical (PHS) and psychosocial (PSS) summary scores. We examined the relationship between health-related QOL and early childhood predictive variables.


RESULTS
PHS was related to gestation, maternal health symptoms in pregnancy, maternal anxiety at 6 months, child health and hours of childcare at 5 years (P < 0.05). PSS was related to maternal age at index visit, maternal attitude to pregnancy, maternal satisfaction with care giving and maternal depression at 6 months, and child health and behaviour problems at 5 years (internalizing and social/attentional/thought (SAT) domains) (P < 0.05). Findings from adolescent self-reports were similar.


CONCLUSIONS
This study has identified a number of early childhood determinants of adolescent HR-QOL. These findings add to evidence of the effects of early adversity on the developmental pathways of children and support the need for effective early intervention.
Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, Victoria, Australia. Amanda.Wilkins@health.w.a.gov.au
A J
AJ
Wilkins
M J
MJ
O'Callaghan
J M
JM
Najman
W
W
Bor
G M
GM
Williams
G
G
Shuttlewood
D000293:Adolescent; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D008423:Maternal Age; D008425:Maternal Behavior; D011446:Prospective Studies; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires