title: Racial disparities in health-related quality of life in a cohort of very low birthweight 2- and 3-year-olds with and without cerebral palsy.
abstract: We examine racial differences in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among 2- and 3-year-olds born very low birthweight (VLBW, <1500 g). The sample included 611 children (290 males and 321 females) from the Newborn Lung Project, a cohort of VLBW infants hospitalized in Wisconsin's newborn intensive care units during 2003 to 2004. Of the 611 children, 14% (86/611) were black, non-Hispanic and 86% (525/611) were white, non-Hispanic and 4% (23/611) had cerebral palsy. HRQoL was measured using the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory. Black children scored nearly four points lower (mean difference -3.6, 95% confidence interval [CI]: -6.9 to -0.3) on HRQoL than their white peers. Cerebral palsy is associated with lower HRQoL (mean difference -24.4, 95% CI: -29.3 to -19.5), especially among black children, but does not explain racial differences in HRQoL. Living in a neighborhood with lowest levels of female education is associated with lower HRQoL (mean difference -5.6, 95% CI: -9.2 to -2.1), but does not explain the racial difference in HRQoL.
authors.affiliation: University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53726, USA. mcmanus2@wisc.edu
authors.forename: Beth Marie
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: McManus
authors.forename: Stephanie A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Robert
authors.forename: Aggie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Albanese
authors.forename: Mona
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sadek-Badawi
authors.forename: Mari
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Palta
mesh_terms: D001741:Black or African American; D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D015233:Models, Statistical; D011788:Quality of Life; D044465:White People