title: Using EQ-5D in children with asthma, rheumatic disorders, diabetes, and speech/language and/or hearing disorders.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study explores several variables of the EQ-5D child version, a multi-attribute utility instrument, in children with chronic conditions.
  
  
  METHODS
  A convenience sample was selected from hospital outpatient records and school records. The sample included children aged 7-18 years with the following chronic conditions: asthma, rheumatic disorders, diabetes, and speech/language and/or hearing disorders. The practicality, convergent validity, and discriminant power were compared with a generic quality of life questionnaire for children (TACQOL) and the 2-week test-retest reliability was assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 182 children or their parents completed the first questionnaire and 161 children/parents completed both questionnaires. The practicality of the EQ-5D was good. Low to moderate correlations were found between the utilities and VAS scores and the TACQOL scales. The discriminant power of the EQ-5D items was low overall and was greater for children with a rheumatic disorder than for children with the other conditions. In the subset of children who experienced no health change between the test and the retest, the reliability of the EQ-5D was moderate to high.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The EQ-5D seems suitable for children, although the use of an additional disease-specific questionnaire is still recommended. The EQ-5D seems the most suitable for children with a chronic physical condition and appears to be reliable for children with a stable health status.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Medical Technology Assessment, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands. danielle.willems@epid.unimaas.nl
authors.forename: Daniëlle C M
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Willems
authors.forename: Manuela A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Joore
authors.forename: Fred H M
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Nieman
authors.forename: Johan L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Severens
authors.forename: Emiel F M
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Wouters
authors.forename: Johannes J E
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Hendriks
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001249:Asthma; D002648:Child; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus; D006311:Hearing Disorders; D006801:Humans; D011788:Quality of Life; D012216:Rheumatic Diseases; D013064:Speech Disorders; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires