title: Predictors of health-related quality of life in Chinese caregivers of children with autism spectrum disorders: a cross-sectional study.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to identify the predictors of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among caregivers of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in China. Two hundred and seventy-three caregivers were surveyed using questionnaires on HRQOL, family functioning, coping style, social support, and caregiver burden. Besides socio-demographic characteristics of children with ASD and their caregivers, results demonstrate that family functioning, coping style, social support, caregiver burden are predictors of HRQOL in caregivers of children with ASD, and these predictors correlated with each other. These results indicate that comprehensive intervention, which focuses on improving caregivers' coping strategies, social support (especially from family members and friends) and family functioning, and on releasing caregiver burden, should be provided to caregivers of children with ASD.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Central South University, Changsha, China. Electronic address: ji04binbin@163.com.
authors.forename: Binbin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.affiliation: The University of Queensland, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Brisbane, Australia. Electronic address: i.zhao@uq.edu.au.
authors.forename: Isabella
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: The University of Queensland, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Brisbane, Australia. Electronic address: catherine.turner@uq.edu.au.
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Turner
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Central South University, Changsha, China. Electronic address: 767951031@qq.com.
authors.forename: Mei
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: The second Xiangya hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China. Electronic address: 524027589@qq.com.
authors.forename: Rongfang
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yi
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Central South University, Changsha, China. Electronic address: ji04binbin@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Siyuan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000067877:Autism Spectrum Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires