title: Health-related quality of life in pediatric liver transplant recipients compared with other chronic disease groups.
abstract: This cross-sectional, multicenter cohort study compares the level of HRQOL of pediatric LT recipients to children with other chronic health conditions. LT sample included 873 children who survived at least 12 months following LT. Six chronic disease samples were compiled from numerous studies, including over 800 patients with JRA, type 1 diabetes, cancer in remission, cardiac disease, end-stage renal disease, and inflammatory bowel disease. Generic HRQOL was measured from both the parental and patient perspective using the PedsQL™ 4.0 Generic Core Scales. Pediatric LT patients reported better physical health than children with JRA. According to parents, pediatric LT recipients had better HRQOL than children on renal dialysis on all domains except school functioning. Across all domains but emotional functioning, pediatric LT recipients reported significantly lower HRQOL than children with type 1 diabetes. Overall, pediatric LT patients reported HRQOL comparable to that of children who had undergone renal transplantation and patients with cancer in remission. Pediatric LT patients manifested impaired HRQOL similar to that of children with chronic diseases and these data suggest that they face ongoing challenges that warrant monitoring and indicate a need for interventions to improve their HRQOL.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Baylor University, Waco, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Christine A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Limbers
authors.forename: Katie
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Neighbors
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Martz
authors.forename: John C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Bucuvalas
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Webb
authors.forename: James W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Varni
authors.forename: Estella M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Alonso
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002908:Chronic Disease; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000628:therapy; D017093:Liver Failure / Q000523:psychology* / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000379:methods; D011788:Quality of Life; D012074:Remission Induction