Quality of life in adolescents born small for gestational age: does growth hormone make a difference?
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate quality of life (QoL) in adolescents born SGA without spontaneous catch-up growth, treated with and without long-term growth hormone (GH) therapy. Additionally, to assess whether GH treatment has a positive effect on QoL, besides improving adult height and height SDS during childhood.


METHODS
Two groups of adolescents born SGA without spontaneous catch-up growth participated in the QoL evaluation; a GH-treated group (n = 44, mean GH duration: 8.8 (1.7) years) and an untreated group (n = 28), both mean age 15.8 (2.1) years. QoL was measured by self-reports of the TACQOL-S, a disorder-specific questionnaire, and the CHQ, a generic questionnaire.


RESULTS
The GH group scored significantly better health status and health-related QoL on several scales of the TACQOL-S. On all TACQOL-S scales the GH group scored better QoL than the untreated group, with effect sizes of moderate to large, not all differences reaching statistical significance. The generic CHQ did not reveal significant differences in QoL between the GH group and the untreated group.


CONCLUSIONS
Firstly, adolescents born SGA, with a GH-induced improved height, had in many aspects a better QoL than untreated adolescents born SGA, according to the disorder-specific questionnaire. Secondly, we advise to use, in addition to a generic questionnaire, a disorder-specific questionnaire for measuring QoL in children treated for short stature, as the generic CHQ did not reveal such differences.
Bannink
Ellen M N
EM
Department of Pediatrics, Division of Endocrinology, Erasmus Medical Center/Sophia Children's Hospital Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. e.bannink@tiscali.nl
van Pareren
Yvonne K
YK
Theunissen
Nicolet C M
NC
Raat
Hein
H
Mulder
Paul G M
PG
Hokken-Koelega
Anita C S
AC
D000293:Adolescent; D001827:Body Height; D001828:Body Image; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D006128:Growth; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007236:Infant, Small for Gestational Age / Q000502:physiology*; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors
D019382:Human Growth Hormone