title: PedsQL™ Gastrointestinal Symptoms Scales and Gastrointestinal Worry Scales in pediatric patients with functional and organic gastrointestinal diseases in comparison to healthy controls.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The primary objective was to compare the gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms and worry of pediatric patients with functional GI disorders (FGIDs) and organic GI diseases to healthy controls utilizing the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory™ (PedsQL™) Gastrointestinal Symptoms and Worry Scales for patient self-reports ages 5-18 years and parent proxy-reports for ages 2-18 years. The secondary objective was to compare FGIDs and organic GI diseases to each other.
  
  
  METHODS
  The PedsQL™ Gastrointestinal Symptoms and Worry Scales were completed in a 9-site study by 587 pediatric patients with GI disorders and 685 parents of patients. Patients had physician-diagnosed GI disorders (chronic constipation, functional abdominal pain, irritable bowel syndrome, functional dyspepsia, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, and gastroesophageal reflux disease). Ten Gastrointestinal Symptoms Scales measuring Stomach Pain, Stomach Discomfort When Eating, Food and Drink Limits, Trouble Swallowing, Heartburn and Reflux, Nausea and Vomiting, Gas and Bloating, Constipation, Blood, and Diarrhea were administered along with two Gastrointestinal Worry Scales. Five hundred and thirteen healthy children and 337 parents of healthy children completed the PedsQL™ Gastrointestinal Scales in an Internet panel survey.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The PedsQL™ Gastrointestinal Symptoms and Worry Scales distinguished between pediatric patients with FGIDs and organic GI diseases in comparison with healthy controls, supporting known-groups validity. Patients with FGIDs reported more GI symptoms and worry than patients with organic GI diseases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The PedsQL™ Gastrointestinal Symptoms and Worry Scales may be utilized as common metrics across pediatric patient groups with FGIDs and organic GI diseases and healthy samples to measure GI-specific symptoms in clinical research and practice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA, jvarni@arch.tamu.edu.
authors.forename: James W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Varni
authors.forename: Cristiane B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Bendo
authors.forename: Jolanda
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Denham
authors.forename: Robert J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Shulman
authors.forename: Mariella M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Self
authors.forename: Deborah A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Neigut
authors.forename: Samuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nurko
authors.forename: Ashish S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: James P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Franciosi
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saps
authors.forename: Alyson
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yeckes
authors.forename: Annette
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Langseder
authors.forename: Shehzad
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saeed
authors.forename: John F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Pohl
mesh_terms: D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000523:psychology; D000293:Adolescent; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology; D011788:Quality of Life; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires