Personality Predicts Quality of Life in Pediatric Patients with Unintentional Injuries: A 1-Year Follow-up Study

Abstract

Few studies have charted the course of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in pediatric injury patients, and no studies so far have examined the extent to which variations in HRQoL 1 month and 1 year after injury are influenced by the child's personality. One hundred and seven pediatric injury victims (6-14 years old) completed an interview on HRQoL and were rated on the personality domains of the Five-Factor Model by their mothers 1 month and 1 year after the incident. HRQoL was compromised after 1 month, particularly in the physical domain, but improved significantly after 1 year. Lower HRQoL after 1 month was predicted by female gender, injury severity, functional status, and neuroticism. After 1 year, lower HRQoL was predicted by concurrent functional status and neuroticism. Even if HRQoL in children with unintentional injuries returns to normal levels after 1 year, significant variations remain, which are in part explained by personality.