title: Evaluating the protective role of racial identity in children with sickle cell disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study examined whether racial identity moderates the relation between pain and quality of life (QOL) in children with sickle cell disease (SCD).
  
  
  METHODS
  100 children 8-18 years of age with SCD participated during a regularly scheduled medical visit. Children completed questionnaires assessing pain, QOL, and regard racial identity, which evaluates racial judgments.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Analyses revealed that regard racial identity trended toward significance in moderating the pain and physical QOL relation, (β = -0.159, t(93) = -1.821, p = 0.07), where children with low pain and high regard reported greater physical QOL than children with low pain and low regard. Regard racial identity did not moderate the relation between pain and other QOL dimensions. Pain significantly predicted all dimensions of QOL and regard racial identity significantly predicted social QOL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Racial identity may be important to consider in future research examining QOL in children with SCD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical & Health Psychology, University of Florida, P.O. Box 100165, Gainesville, FL 32610-0165, USA. cms528@phhp.ufl.edu
authors.forename: Crystal S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Josie S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Welkom
authors.forename: Lindsey L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: Ifeyinwa
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Osunkwo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000755:Anemia, Sickle Cell / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010146:Pain / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology; D011788:Quality of Life; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D012933:Social Identification; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires