Article

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and its
determinants in children with congenital hand differences (CHDs).
SETTING: Outpatient clinic of a university hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Children
(N=116; age range, 10-14 y) with CHDs. INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: HRQoL evaluated by child self-reports of the Pediatric Quality
of Life Inventory and compared with reference values of healthy peers.
Multivariable regression analysis was performed to investigate determinants of
HRQoL. RESULTS: All children with CHDs had scores similar to those of healthy
peers, except for a lower score on social functioning in children aged 13 to 14
years. Higher ease of activity performance was related to higher HRQoL scores,
and presence of comorbidity was related to lower scores on all HRQoL subdomains
except for school functioning. Additionally, physical health was influenced by
ethnicity, bilateral involvement, and previous surgery; emotional functioning by
the number of affected digits; school functioning by age; and total HRQoL by
bilateral involvement. CONCLUSIONS: Children with CHDs report similar HRQoL as
healthy peers. HRQoL decreased in the presence of comorbidity but increased with
higher ease of activity performance. Scores on some subdomains were improved by
the number of affected digits, but were reduced by age, ethnicity, bilateral
involvement, and surgery. Although HRQoL is an important health outcome, it may
not be sensitive to detect changes over time or changes after treatment in children with CHDs.
CI - Copyright (c) 2012 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by
Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS