Personality predicts quality of life in pediatric patients with unintentional injuries: a 1-year follow-up study.
OBJECTIVE
Few studies have charted the course of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in pediatric injury patients, and no studies so far have examined the extent to which variations in HRQoL 1 month and 1 year after injury are influenced by the child's personality.


METHODS
One hundred and seven pediatric injury victims (6-14 years old) completed an interview on HRQoL and were rated on the personality domains of the Five-Factor Model by their mothers 1 month and 1 year after the incident.


RESULTS
HRQoL was compromised after 1 month, particularly in the physical domain, but improved significantly after 1 year. Lower HRQoL after 1 month was predicted by female gender, injury severity, functional status, and neuroticism. After 1 year, lower HRQoL was predicted by concurrent functional status and neuroticism.


CONCLUSIONS
Even if HRQoL in children with unintentional injuries returns to normal levels after 1 year, significant variations remain, which are in part explained by personality.
Vollrath
Margarete
M
University of Oslo, Norway, Pob 1094 Blindern, NO-0317 Oslo, Norway. margarete.vollrath@psykologi.uio.no
Landolt
Markus A
MA
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D033182:Intention; D008297:Male; D010551:Personality; D011788:Quality of Life; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology*