title: Responsiveness of the PedsQL to pain-related changes in health-related quality of life in pediatric sickle cell disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine if caregiver report of the pediatric quality of life inventory (PedsQL) is responsive to changes in health-related quality of life (HRQL) associated with pain episodes in pediatric sickle cell disease (SCD).
  
  
  METHODS
  81 caregivers of children ages 2-19 years with SCD completed the PedsQL as part of routine psychosocial screenings at 2 time points, ranging from 6 to 18 months apart. Frequency of SCD-related pain episodes between time points was assessed using medical chart review.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The frequency of pain episodes between time points was a significant predictor of decreases in physical, psychosocial, and total HRQL, even after controlling for time interval, demographic, and medical variables.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The caregiver report of the PedsQL appears to be a useful tool for capturing changes in HRQL over time associated with pain episodes in SCD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA. schlenz@email.sc.edu
authors.forename: Alyssa M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Schlenz
authors.forename: Jeffrey
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schatz
authors.forename: Catherine B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: McClellan
authors.forename: Carla W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Roberts
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000755:Anemia, Sickle Cell / Q000523:psychology*; D017028:Caregivers; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010146:Pain / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult