Double disadvantage: a case control study on health-related quality of life in children with sickle cell disease.
BACKGROUND
Low health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of children with sickle cell disease (SCD) may be associated with consequences of the disease, or with the low socio-economic status (SES) of this patient population. The aim of this study was to investigate the HRQoL of children with SCD, controlling for SES by comparing them to healthy siblings (matched for age and gender), and to a Dutch norm population.


METHODS
The HRQoL of 40 children with homozygous SCD and 36 healthy siblings was evaluated by the KIDSCREEN-52. This self-report questionnaire assesses ten domains of HRQoL. Differences between children with SCD and healthy siblings were analyzed using linear mixed models. One-sample t-tests were used to analyze differences with the Dutch norm population. Furthermore, the proportion of children with SCD with impaired HRQoL was evaluated.


RESULTS
In general, the HRQoL of children with SCD appeared comparable to the HRQoL of healthy siblings, while children with SCD had worse HRQoL than the Dutch norm population on five domains (Physical Well-being, Moods & Emotions, Autonomy, Parent Relation, and Financial Resources). Healthy siblings had worse HRQoL than the Dutch norm population on three domains (Moods & Emotions, Parent Relation, and Financial Resources). More than one in three children with SCD and healthy siblings had impaired HRQoL on several domains.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings imply that reduced HRQoL in children with SCD is mainly related to the low SES of this patient population, with the exception of disease specific effects on the physical and autonomy domain. We conclude that children with SCD are especially vulnerable compared to other patient populations, and have special health care needs.
Psychosocial Department, Emma Children's Hospital, Academic Medical Center, P.O. Box 304, 1100 VC Amsterdam, The Netherlands. c.t.hijmans@amc.nl
Channa T
CT
Hijmans
Karin
K
Fijnvandraat
Jaap
J
Oosterlaan
Harriët
H
Heijboer
Marjolein
M
Peters
Martha A
MA
Grootenhuis
D000293:Adolescent; D000755:Anemia, Sickle Cell / Q000191:economics; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009426:Netherlands; D010290:Parents / Q000193:education; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000379:methods; D011788:Quality of Life; D035781:Siblings; D012923:Social Class; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires