Assessment of Quality of Life Indicators in School-age Children Who Have Experienced COVID-19 of Varying Degrees of Severity

Abstract

Today the health status of school-age children after suffering from COVID-19 is an urgent medical problem all over the world. The study of indicators of quality of life (QoL) is of great practical importance for children and adolescents. QoL is a multidimensional concept that takes into account physical, mental and social aspects of well-being and functioning The objective: to analyze the quality of life indicators in school-age children who suffered from COVID-19 of varying degrees of severity. Materials and methods. The study included 155 children from 6 to 18 years old, who were divided into groups. The main group included 120 children with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 in the anamnesis and a period after COVID-19 of more than 12 weeks. The control group included 35 somatically healthy children who did not suffer from COVID-19, and were the same age as individuals in the main group. The patients of the main group were divided into three groups: I group – 49 children who had mild COVID-19; II group – 40 children who suffered from moderate severity of COVID-19; III group – 31 children who fell ill with COVID-19 with a severe course. Quality of life indicators were assessed using a questionnaire based on the PedQL 4.0 scale. General clinical (analysis of anamnesis data, objective examination) and statistical research methods were also used. Results. As a result of the study, it was found that the average score of the final assessment of the state of physical health in the main group was 76.64±8.62 points, in the control group – 87.68±6.01 points (p<0.001). The average score of the final assessment of psychosocial health in the main group was 68.57±7.67 points, in the control group – 85.43±6.21 points (p<0.001). The average value of the total score on the PedsQL 4.0 scale in the main group was 72.61±6.69 points, in the control group – 86.55±5.1 points (p<0.001). The lowest indicators of the final assessment of the state of physical health, psychosocial health and the total score on the PedsQL 4.0 scale were found in the III group, the highest indicators – in the I group (statistical difference from the control group p<0.01). A rank negative correlation of medium strength was determined between the indicator of the final assessment of the physical state of health and the total score on the PedsQL 4.0 scale and severity of COVID-19 (r=–0.626; p<0.001, r=–0.615; p<0.001, respectively). A negative weak rank correlation was established between the index of the final assessment of the psychosocial state of health and the degree of severity of COVID-19 (r=–0.364; р<0.001). Conclusions. The results of the study indicate that acute COVID-19 affects the quality of life of children. The impact of the coronavirus disease affects various indicators and areas of QoL in children and depends on the severity of COVID-19. Severe COVID-19 has an equally negative impact on all areas of the quality of life of children and adolescents.