Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate the perception of health related quality of life (HRQoL) of adolescent students. This is a cross-sectional study with 807 adolescents aged 10 to 17 years from two public schools of Niteroi and four private schools of Rio de Janeiro and São Gonçalo. Information on HRQoL was obtained by a reduced version of the Kidscreen questionnaire with 27 items. Student t tests were used to assess the perception of HRQoL stratified by type of school, gender, age and ownership of assets. We used linear regression models to evaluate HRQoL settings. In general, the evaluated adolescents evidenced a good HRQoL. However, results show significant differences in the perception of each HRQoL realm between subgroups. Private school adolescents had better HRQoL compared to public schools in all Kidscreen-27 realms. Older adolescents, those from public school and those with lower ownership of assets had lower HRQoL values in most realms, particularly in the 'Autonomy and Relationship with Parents' realm. Disclosure of the differentiated profile of HRQoL among adolescents is the first step towards developing action strategies in the school environment that prioritize the most vulnerable groups.
Highlights
The concept of health proposed by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1947 as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity” introduced discussions about the importance of subjective aspects of health[1]
As discussed in some international studies that investigated the health related quality of life (HRQoL) of school adolescents[5,6], this further analysis can be a management tool, aiming at guiding the organization of resources and decision-making processes to improve the quality of life of schoolchildren[4,7]
The perceptions of quality of life were satisfactory in the sample as a whole, with values below the lower limit only in the ‘Autonomy and Relationship with Parents’ realm
Summary
The concept of health proposed by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1947 as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity” introduced discussions about the importance of subjective aspects of health[1]. Social, psychological and functional aspects of individual well-being, it implies a comprehensive model of subjective health. In this perspective, its study is instrumental to understanding the impact of diseases, assessing health interventions for the chronically ill, recognizing vulnerable subgroups and prioritizing resource allocation in health[2]. The determinants of health and disease traverse the social and psychological fields, in adolescence, since individual experiences experiments and transformations. Because it involves an identity-building phase, such experiences can lead to risky behaviors, shaping their attributes and attitudes in adulthood and old age. As discussed in some international studies that investigated the HRQoL of school adolescents[5,6], this further analysis can be a management tool, aiming at guiding the organization of resources and decision-making processes to improve the quality of life of schoolchildren[4,7]
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