Health Related Quality of Life in Children with Short Stature

Abstract

Background: Short stature is a term applied to a child whose height is 2 standard deviations (SD) or more below the mean for children of that sex and chronologic age (and ideally of the same racial-ethnic group). HRQOL is increasingly seen as an important outcome in clinical medicine. HRQOL includes subjective physical, emotional and social aspects of well-being and functioning from the patient’s perspective and extends to the perspective of other persons. The present work aimed to assess the psychological outcomes and health related quality of life (HRQOL) for pediatrics with short stature (SS). Methods: HRQOL for SS patients, in 392 school children  were evaluated. Results: According to our study as regarding socio-demographic characteristics of the studied children, it included 392 patients with SS; 223 of them were females (56.89%) and 169 of them were male (43.11 %) with age ranging between 12 to 18 years. The mean ±SD age of the patients was 15.77 ± 1.41 years. Number of children in urban was 191(48.72 %) and in rural was 201 (51.28%). In preparatory school were 199 (50.77%) and in secondary school were 193 (49.23%). Child order ranged from 1-5 with mean ±SD 2.41±1.01. Number of children in the family ranged from 1-6 with mean ±SD 3.87±1.19. Our results showed as regarding school performance students with short were classified into bad n 96 (24%), good 278(70.92%) and excellent 18 (4.59%). Also, when comparing different WHO QOL domains according to school performance of children with SS, we founded that the performance of children with SS at school was great, there was a positive reflection at scores of the different WHO QOL domains but didn't reach a statistically significant. As regarding socio-economical state of the patient’s family, the Mean ±SD monthly income of the family 2557.91 ±957.666.  according to Number of chambers in the house mean ±SD 2.96 ± 0.75, and Crowding index included 5 in room 12 (3.06%), 3-4 in room n180(45.92%), 2 in room 132 (33.67%) and less than 2 in room 68(17.35%).We also founded that number of working mothers 73 (18.62%) and not working 319(81.38%) while number of working fathers 314(80.1%) and not working 78(19.9%).Our study founded that residence distribution at children with SS in relation to different WHO QOL domains was of no significant value although it was in favor with urban residency. Conclusion:    Pediatric patients with SS have lower HRQOL compared to healthy individuals especially in physical, psychological and environmental aspects. Social domain is the most affected among SS children.