title: [Quality of life in children, adolescents, and young adults with achondroplasia].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Compared to research on short-statured adults, quality of life (QoL) of children has been rarely studied. One reason for this might be the lack of appropriate disease-specific questionnaires.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to analyse the quality of life in a sample of short-statured children with achondroplasia, using generic and disease-specific instruments. In addition, a comparison of patient and population norms is presented.
  
  
  METHODS
  The sample included children (8-28 years) with achondroplasia and parents of participating children (8-17 years). Quality of life was analyzed with the KIDSCREEN, the DISABKIDS and the disease-specific Quality of Life in Short Stature Youth (QoLISSY) questionnaire. In addition group differences according to clinical and sociodemographic data were analyzed within the sample and compared to available KIDSCREEN representative population data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The physical QoL was rated poorly in this sample of short-statured patients, while the emotional QoL was rated more favorably. Compared to the KIDSCREEN population norm, parents of children with achondroplasia rate the QoL lower.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The QoLISSY questionnaire is a reliable tool to assess the subjective wellbeing of patients with skeletal dysplasia. The instrument can now be used clinically as a screening for patient wellbeing, as an outcome criterion in clinical research and as a psychosocial indicator in orthopedic cohort studies.
authors.affiliation: Universitätsklinikum Hamburg - Eppendorf, Institut für medizinische Psychologie, Martinistraße 52, W26, 20246, Hamburg, Deutschland, a.rohenkohl@uke.de.
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Rohenkohl
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bullinger
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Quitmann
mesh_terms: D000130:Achondroplasia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000379:methods*; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult