title: Parent-reported quality of life of children with cerebral palsy in Europe.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The goal was to determine whether the type and severity of the child's impairments and the family's psychosocial, social, and economic characteristics influence parent-reported child quality of life across the spectrum of severity of cerebral palsy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Our population-based, cross-sectional survey conducted in 2004 to 2005 involved 818 children with cerebral palsy, 8 to 12 years of age, from 7 countries (9 regions) in Europe. Child quality of life was assessed through parent reports by using the Kidscreen questionnaire, and data were analyzed separately for each of its 10 domains.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The parental response rates were >93% for all domains except one. Gross motor function and IQ level were found to be associated independently with quality of life in most domains. However, greater severity of impairment was not always associated with poorer quality of life; in the moods and emotions, self-perception, social acceptance, and school environment domains, less severely impaired children were more likely to have poor quality of life. Pain was associated with poor quality of life in the physical and psychological well-being and self-perception domains. Parents with higher levels of stress were more likely to report poor quality of life in all domains, which suggests that factors other than the severity of the child's impairment may influence the way in which parents report quality of life.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The parent-reported quality of life for children with cerebral palsy is associated strongly with impairment. However, depending on the areas of life, the most severely impaired children (in terms of motor functioning or intellectual ability) do not always have the poorest quality of life.
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Health and Medical Research, U558, Research Unit on Perinatal Epidemiology, Child Health and Development, Toulouse University III Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France. carnaud@cict.fr
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Arnaud
authors.forename: Melanie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: White-Koning
authors.forename: Susan Ishoy
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Michelsen
authors.forename: Jackie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Parkes
authors.forename: Kathryn
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Parkinson
authors.forename: Ute
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Thyen
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Beckung
authors.forename: Heather O
authors.initials: HO
authors.lastname: Dickinson
authors.forename: Jerome
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fauconnier
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marcelli
authors.forename: Vicki
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: McManus
authors.forename: Allan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Colver
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D019988:Children with Disabilities / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D011788:Quality of Life; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D012928:Social Desirability; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires