title: Health-related quality of life in children and adolescents with celiac disease: survey of a population from central Italy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Celiac Disease (CD) is an increasingly common autoimmune disorder. It requires a strict lifelong adherence to a gluten-free diet (GFD) which can influence health-related quality of life (HRQOL). This study assesses HRQOL in children and adolescents with CD and explores how several demographic and clinical characteristics and GFD adherence affect their perceived health status.
  
  
  METHODS
  We recruited 140 consecutive children and adolescents with CD confirmed by small bowel biopsy. HRQOL was assessed using the SF-12 questionnaire plus some CD-specific questions exploring wellbeing and lifestyle. Patients, aged 10 to 18 years, were identified by pediatric gastroenterologists and guided in filling out the questionnaire by trained psychologists. Parametric or non-parametric tests were applied to analyze continuous variables and frequencies as appropriate.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The SF-12 mean mental component summary score (MCS12) was lower than in the general Italian population (p < 0.001), whereas differences in terms of physical health were not significant (p = 0.220). More than one third of those interviewed reported feeling angry "always" or "most of the time" about having to follow the GFD, and nearly 20% reported feeling different from others and misunderstood because of CD "always" or "most of the time".
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings highlight the need for health professionals to identify adolescents with major disease-related problems. The food industry should improve its range of gluten-free food products and public bodies and institutions should promote informative campaigns and help promote the overall quality of life of children and adolescents with CD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, Piazzale Salvatore Tommasi 1, Coppito (Aq), L'Aquila 67100, Italy. emma.altobelli@cc.univaq.it.
authors.forename: Emma
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Altobelli
authors.forename: Riccardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Paduano
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gentile
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Caloisi
authors.forename: Ciro
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Marziliano
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Necozione
authors.forename: Ferdinando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: di Orio
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002446:Celiac Disease / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires