title: Health-related quality of life among children with recurrent respiratory tract infections in Xi'an, China.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to investigate the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in 2-7-year-old children diagnosed with recurrent respiratory tract infections (RRTIs) and the impact of RRTIs on affected families.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a cross-sectional case-control study evaluating 2-7-year-old children with RRTIs (n = 352), 2-7-year-old healthy children (n = 376), and associated caregivers (parents and/or grandparents). A Chinese version of the PedsQL™ 4.0 Generic Core Scale was used to assess childhood HRQOL, and a Chinese version of the Family Impact Module (FIM) was used to assess the impact of RRTIs on family members. HRQOL scores were compared between children with RRTIs and healthy children. In addition, a multiple step-wise regression with demographic variables of children and their caregivers, family economic status, and caregiver's HRQOL as independent variables determined factors that influenced HRQOL in children with RRTIs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Children with RRTIs showed significantly lower physical, emotional, social, and school functioning scores than healthy children (p<0.05). Caregivers for children with RRTIs also scored significantly lower than caregivers for healthy children on physical, emotional, social, cognitive, and communication functioning (p<0.05). Caregivers for RRTIs affected children also reported significantly higher levels of worry. Multivariate analyses showed that children's age, children's relation with caregivers, the frequency of respiratory tract infections in the preceding year, caregiver's educational level, and caregiver's own HRQOL influenced HRQOL in children with RRTIs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The current data demonstrated that RRTIs were associated with lower HRQOL in both children and their caregivers and negatively influenced family functioning. In addition, caregivers' social characteristics also significantly affected HRQOL in children with RRTIs.
authors: Department of Pediatrics, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.
authors: Xun
authors: X
authors: Jiang
authors: Lijun
authors: L
authors: Sun
authors: Baoxi
authors: B
authors: Wang
authors: Xianjun
authors: X
authors: Yang
authors: Lei
authors: L
authors: Shang
authors: Yuhai
authors: Y
authors: Zhang
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002681:China; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011788:Quality of Life; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology