title: Health-related quality of life is reduced in pediatric multiple sclerosis.
abstract: The health-related quality of life of children with multiple sclerosis was compared with that of healthy children and of those with other neurologic diseases. The Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory Version 4.0 was administered to children with multiple sclerosis and clinically isolated syndrome and their parents (proxy reporters) at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), Regional Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis Center. Scores were compared with those of siblings and to those of children seen at the UCSF Pediatric Muscular Dystrophy Association Center. After adjustment for age and sex, children with multiple sclerosis or clinically isolated syndrome (P = 0.003) and their parents (P = 0.001) reported worse overall health-related quality of life than their siblings. Although overall scores for those with early multiple sclerosis or clinically isolated syndrome were better than for children with neuromuscular disease, their self-reported psychosocial scores were similar. The main predictor of reduced self-reported health-related quality of life among children with multiple sclerosis or clinically isolated syndrome was greater neurologic disability, whereas parents reported worse scores for girls, older children, and those with longer disease duration. Although it is better than for children with chronic neuromuscular diseases, children with multiple sclerosis or clinically isolated syndrome have substantial reductions in health-related quality of life.
authors.affiliation: Multiple Sclerosis Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94117, USA. ellen.mowry@ucsf.edu
authors.forename: Ellen M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Mowry
authors.forename: Laura J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Julian
authors.forename: Sunny
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Im-Wang
authors.forename: Dorothee
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chabas
authors.forename: Alice J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Galvin
authors.forename: Jonathan B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Strober
authors.forename: Emmanuelle
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Waubant
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological / Q000502:physiology*; D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000523:psychology*; D009468:Neuromuscular Diseases / Q000523:psychology; D010372:Pediatrics; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012649:Self Concept; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D035781:Siblings; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires