Abstract
AimsCross-sectional studies demonstrated associations of several sociodemographic and psychosocial factors with generic health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in children and adolescents. However, little is known about factors affecting the change in child and adolescent HRQoL over time. This study investigates potential psychosocial risk and protective factors of child and adolescent HRQoL based on longitudinal data of a German population-based study.MethodsData from the BELLA study gathered at three measurement points (baseline, 1-year and 2-year follow-ups) were investigated in n = 1,554 children and adolescents aged 11 to 17 years at baseline. Self-reported HRQoL was assessed by the KIDSCREEN-10 Index. We examined effects of sociodemographic factors, mental health problems, parental mental health problems, as well as potential personal, familial, and social protective factors on child and adolescent HRQoL at baseline as well as over time using longitudinal growth modeling.ResultsAt baseline, girls reported lower HRQoL than boys, especially in older participants; low socioeconomic status and migration background were both associated with low HRQoL. Mental health problems as well as parental mental health problems were negatively, self-efficacy, family climate, and social support were positively associated with initial HRQoL. Longitudinal analyses revealed less increase of HRQoL in girls than boys, especially in younger participants. Changes in mental health problems were negatively, changes in self-efficacy and social support were positively associated with the change in HRQoL over time. No effects were found for changes in parental mental health problems or in family climate on changes in HRQoL. Moderating effects for self-efficacy, family climate or social support on the relationships between the investigated risk factors and HRQoL were not found.ConclusionThe risk factor mental health problems negatively and the resource factors self-efficacy and social support positively affect the development of HRQoL in young people, and should be considered in prevention programs.
Highlights
Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is a subjective and multidimensional construct that includes physiological, psychological, and functional aspects of health and wellbeing [1]
Changes in mental health problems were negatively, changes in selfefficacy and social support were positively associated with the change in HRQoL over time
The risk factor mental health problems negatively and the resource factors self-efficacy and social support positively affect the development of HRQoL in young people, and should be considered in prevention programs
Summary
Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is a subjective and multidimensional construct that includes physiological, psychological, and functional aspects of health and wellbeing [1]. Generic HRQoL in children and adolescents includes dimensions related to the children’s and the adolescents’ experience and environment, such as physical and psychological wellbeing, family life, school environment, and peer relations [2]. A number of standardized age-appropriate measures are available to measure HRQoL in children and adolescents [8, 9]. HRQoL is a subjective perception, it is best assessed by means of self-reports [10, 11], as long as the measures are age-appropriate [9, 10, 12]. Parent- and proxy-reports may be gathered in addition, or if the children are very young or suffer from very severe health conditions [8, 9, 11]
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