Quality of life and academic functioning 6 years after paediatric referral for chronic pain
Acta Pediatrica, 06/29/2012
Knook LME et al. – Six years after paediatric referral for chronic pain, HR–QoL was mostly comparable to that of peers, and academic functioning improved. Self–evaluated global health at referral may be an important predictor of HR–QoL outcome of children with chronic pain, rather than psychiatric comorbidity.
Methods- In 99 children and adolescents with chronic pain (aged 8 to 17) referred to a paediatric outpatient clinic, pain and psychiatric disorders were assessed between 2000 and 2002.
- Participants were reassessed after minimal 5 years (age 13 to 24).
- HR–QoL (Medical Outcomes Study 36 –item Short–Form (SF36)) was compared with Dutch population norms.
- Academic functioning (structured questionnaire) was compared with baseline.
- Participant’s ratings in most HR–QoL dimensions did not differ from population norms.
- Outcome was significantly decreased in Bodily Pain (p=0.001males, p = 0.000 females) and female General Health (p = 0.001).
- Poor general health perceptions (p=0.002), poor global general health (p = 0.003), and a high somatic symptom level (0.004) at baseline predicted poor HR–QoL outcome.
- School/work attendance was significantly better than at baseline (p =0.002)
