Article

The study aimed to investigate the changes in self-perceived quality of
life (QOL) of children and adolescents with physical disability (PD). METHOD: Two
hundred students aged 10-18 with PD were recruited from primary and high schools
in Taiwan to participate in this longitudinal study. The Student Version of the
Comprehensive Quality of Life Scale (COMQOL-S) was used to measure self-perceived
QOL, which was recorded at baseline, and 6, 12 and 18 months post-baseline.
Statistically, linear mixed models were used to compare the QOL scores among the
four time points. RESULTS: At the second, third and fourth visit, 192, 151 and
128 participants completed COMQOL-S, respectively. Significant changes over time
were found in overall objective and subjective OQL scores (slope = 0.8, p = 0.002
and slope = -1.3, p < 0.001, respectively). Specifically, significant reductions
of the subjective QOL scores over the period of the four visits were observed in
five domains, namely, Productivity (slope = -1.7, p = 0.005), Intimacy (slope =
-1.6, p = 0.004), Safety (slope = -1.6, p = 0.008), Place in community (slope =
-1.4, p = 0.019) and Emotional wellbeing (slope = -2.5, p < 0.001). Age was
negatively correlated with the change of overall subjective score. Positive
correlation was found between the change in mean objective scores and mean
subjective scores in the Intimacy and Productivity domains. CONCLUSIONS: Even
though the conditions of material wellbeing and health can be kept steady, the
overall QOL of children and adolescents with PD could still decline over time.
This might be attributable to the fact that social life becomes more
sophisticated when children become older.

Langue : ANGLAIS