Abstract
PurposeTo assess the quality of life (QoL) of children and adolescents in Kenya as rated by parents and youth themselves, and examine how QoL is related to emotional and behavioral problems (EBP).MethodQoL and EBP reports were obtained from 1022 Kenyan parents and 533 adolescents living in the country’s Central Province. Parents with children between 6 and 18 years completed the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) and the Child Behavior Checklist, while the adolescents (12–18) completed the PedsQL and the Youth Self-Report.ResultsParent-reported QoL in Kenyan youth was somewhat above that of US standardization samples, while levels of adolescent self-reports were well within the range of those from most high- and middle-income countries. Average adolescent girls’ self-reports were lower on all QoL scales than boys. QoL in children/adolescents with clinical to borderline levels of EBP (cf. multicultural norms, Achenbach and Rescorla, 2007) was lower than QoL in agemates with normal levels of EBP. Regression analyses indicated unique associations of QoL with parent-reported withdrawn/depressed, somatic complaints, attention problems, and aggressive behavior, and with adolescent self-reported somatic complaints, attention problems, and rule-breaking behavior.ConclusionQoL levels were well within ranges of other countries. Moreover, associations of QoL with EBP indicated that those with borderline/clinical levels of EBP had a much lower QoL most notable for those with somatic complaints and attention problems. Mental health providers might focus on interventions that reduce EBP in Kenyan children and adolescents and simultaneously reduce the risk of lowered QoL.
Highlights
Quality of life (QoL) has been described as both a subjective evaluation of an individual’s well-being as well as objective descriptions of individuals and their circumstances that are associated with subjective well-being and may be amenable to change through service and policy [1, 2]
While parent- and self-reported QoL was significantly associated with all emotional and behavioral problems (EBP) scales, regression analyses indicated unique associations for parent-reported withdrawn/depressed, somatic complaints, attention problems, and aggressive behavior, and unique associations for adolescent self-reported somatic complaints, attention problems, and rule-breaking behavior
Our study findings suggest that subjective QoL is at well acceptable levels for most Kenyan children and youth but is strongly reduced in children and adolescents with EBP
Summary
Quality of life (QoL) has been described as both a subjective evaluation of an individual’s well-being as well as objective descriptions of individuals and their circumstances that are associated with subjective well-being and may be amenable to change through service and policy [1, 2]. Physical QoL addresses how youth are able to engage in daily activities, whereas psychosocial QoL captures how they feel about and perceive themselves and their lives, the quality of their relationships, and how well they function in critical roles, such as a student [5]. Some population studies on adults’ QoL have been performed in African countries [6,7,8], and multiple on high-risk groups, little is known on QoL in African children and adolescents from the general population. To fill this gap, this study addressed QoL of children and adolescents in Kenya as rated by parents and youth themselves
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