title: Child-related characteristics predicting subsequent health-related quality of life in 8- to 14-year-old children with and without cerebellar tumors: a prospective longitudinal study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We identified child-related determinants of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in children aged 8-14 years who were treated for 2 common types of pediatric brain tumors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Questionnaire measures of HRQoL and psychometric assessments were completed by 110 children on 3 occasions over 24 months. Of these 110, 72 were within 3 years of diagnosis of a cerebellar tumor (37 standard-risk medulloblastoma, 35 low-grade cerebellar astrocytoma), and 38 were in a nontumor group. HRQoL, executive function, health status, and behavioral difficulties were also assessed by parents and teachers as appropriate. Regression modeling was used to relate HRQoLzscores to age, sex, socioeconomic status, and 5 domains of functioning: Cognition, Emotion, Social, Motor and Sensory, and Behavior.
  
  
  RESULTS
  HRQoLzscores were significantly lower after astrocytoma than those in the nontumor group and significantly lower again in the medulloblastoma group, both by self-report and by parent-report. In regression modeling, significant child-related predictors of poorer HRQoLzscores by self-report were poorer cognitive and emotional function (bothzscores) and greater age (years) at enrollment (B= 0.038, 0.098, 0.136, respectively). By parent-report, poorer cognitive, emotional and motor or sensory function (zscore) were predictive of lower subsequent HRQoL of the child (B= 0.043, 0.112, 0.019, respectively), while age at enrollment was not.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Early screening of cognitive and emotional function in this age group, which are potentially amenable to change, could identify those at risk of poor HRQoL and provide a rational basis for interventions to improve HRQoL.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine , University of Southampton, Southampton General Hospital , Southampton, UK (K.S.B., D.C., C.R.K.); University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust , Southampton, UK (C.R.K.); School of Psychology, Faculty of Social and Human Sciences , University of Southampton , Southampton, UK (C.L.); Division of Health and Social Care Research , King's College London , London, UK (J.L.P.); NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust , London, UK (J.L.P.).
authors.forename: Kim S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Bull
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine , University of Southampton, Southampton General Hospital , Southampton, UK (K.S.B., D.C., C.R.K.); University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust , Southampton, UK (C.R.K.); School of Psychology, Faculty of Social and Human Sciences , University of Southampton , Southampton, UK (C.L.); Division of Health and Social Care Research , King's College London , London, UK (J.L.P.); NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust , London, UK (J.L.P.).
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liossi
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine , University of Southampton, Southampton General Hospital , Southampton, UK (K.S.B., D.C., C.R.K.); University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust , Southampton, UK (C.R.K.); School of Psychology, Faculty of Social and Human Sciences , University of Southampton , Southampton, UK (C.L.); Division of Health and Social Care Research , King's College London , London, UK (J.L.P.); NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust , London, UK (J.L.P.).
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Culliford
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine , University of Southampton, Southampton General Hospital , Southampton, UK (K.S.B., D.C., C.R.K.); University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust , Southampton, UK (C.R.K.); School of Psychology, Faculty of Social and Human Sciences , University of Southampton , Southampton, UK (C.L.); Division of Health and Social Care Research , King's College London , London, UK (J.L.P.); NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust , London, UK (J.L.P.).
authors.forename: Janet L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Peacock
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine , University of Southampton, Southampton General Hospital , Southampton, UK (K.S.B., D.C., C.R.K.); University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust , Southampton, UK (C.R.K.); School of Psychology, Faculty of Social and Human Sciences , University of Southampton , Southampton, UK (C.L.); Division of Health and Social Care Research , King's College London , London, UK (J.L.P.); NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust , London, UK (J.L.P.).
authors.forename: Colin R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Kennedy
keywords: cerebellar astrocytoma; children; medulloblastoma; outcome; quality of life