Child Health Questionnaire PF-50 Research Articles

Use of a Virtual-Technological Sailing Program to Prepare Children With Disabilities for a Real Sailing Course: Effects on Balance and Quality of Life.

Sailing might produce a positive effect on a patient's general health and become an integrated part of rehabilitation. Our hypothesis was that a specific technological rehabilitation program might be used to prepare a group of disabled subjects for sailing. Seventeen patients (age range: 9-20) with impairments in motor coordination and balance and 15 healthy subjects participated in the study. The study was divided into the virtual-technological sailing phase, theory-practice phase, and sports phase. Proprioceptive platforms were used to evaluate balance, and the Child Health Questionnaire-PF50 was used to evaluate quality of life. Trunk displacement and the center of pressure velocity improved significantly after the virtual-technological sailing program. As regards quality of life, the physical and psychosocial score significantly improved at the end of the program. A technological rehabilitation training improved balance in disabled subjects and may be used to prepare them for a real sailing course. Sailing improves the quality of life of disabled subjects and could be used in the rehabilitation.

Assessment of Functional Status and Quality of Life in Children with Spina Bifida

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine functional status and QoL of children with spina bifida (SB) by using the Functional Independence Measure for Children (WeeFIM) and the Child Health Questionnaire PF-50 (CHQPF-50) and to compare the functional status data of pediatric SB patients with those of healthy children. Material and Methods: Forty children with SB and 40 healthy children aged between 36 and 143 months were enrolled in the study. Both pediatric SB patients and healthy children were divided into three age groups: Group 1: 36-71 months, Group 2: 72-107 months, and Group 3: 108-143 months. The WeeFIM and CHQPF-50 were completed for children with SB, whereas the WeeFIM was completed only for healthy children. Results: In both assessments, the total score and subscale scores were lower than normal values in children with SB. However, improvement was found in self-care; communication; social, emotional, and mental status; and family factors with increasing age. On the other hand, there was no improvement in physical score, transfer, mobility, and sphincter control with increasing age. Functional status of children with SB was significantly lower compared to healthy children. Conclusion: There was progress in self-care, communication, family factors, and social, emotional and mental status in children with SB with increasing age.

Efficacy of intrathecal baclofen therapy in children with intractable spastic cerebral palsy: A randomised controlled trial

Background Intractable spasticity can be treated effectively with continuous infusion of intrathecal baclofen. Because evidence for its use in the treatment of children with spastic cerebral palsy is lacking, we conducted a randomised controlled trial. Aims To test whether continuous infusion of intrathecal baclofen is effective in comparison with standard treatment only. Methods Seventeen children, aged 13.2 (SD 2.8) years, with intractable spastic cerebral palsy were randomised to receive a Synchromed pump for continuous infusion of intrathecal baclofen after either 1 month (CITB group) or 6 months (Control group). Primary outcomes were the 6-month-change scores on the 0–10 visual analogue scale for individually formulated problems and the caregiver assistance scale of the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory self-care domain. One of the secondary outcome measures was health related quality of life as measured with the Child Health Questionnaire-PF50. Results Nine children were randomly assigned to the CITB group and eight to the Control group. The visual analogue scale for individual problems improved with 4.0 (SD 1.7) in the CITB group and changed with −0.2 (SD 1.3) in the Control group ( p = 0.001). Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory scores did not change significantly. The Child Health Questionnaire-PF50 6-month-change score significantly differed in favour of the CITB group for the domains of bodily pain/discomfort ( p = 0.014), mental health ( p = 0.045), psychosocial status ( p = 0.027) and parents' personal time limitation ( p = 0.043). Conclusion The results of this randomised controlled trial establish continuous infusion of intrathecal baclofen to be effective in carefully selected children with problems caused by intractable spastic cerebral palsy.

Safety and one-year efficacy of intrathecal baclofen therapy in children with intractable spastic cerebral palsy

Background Prospective studies that address both efficacy and safety of continuous infusion of intrathecal baclofen (CITB) in children with spastic cerebral palsy (CP), and that use outcome measures beyond muscle tone are lacking. Aims To study the efficacy at 12 months and safety up to 24 months after start of CITB in children with intractable spastic CP. Methods Nine girls and eight boys, aged 13.7 years (SD 2.9), received a SynchroMed pump for CITB. We prospectively recorded effects and adverse events at regular follow-up visits up to 24 months. Outcome measures included the 0–10 visual analogue scale (VAS) for individual problems, Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM) and health related quality of life as measured with the Child Health Questionnaire-PF50. Results CITB for 12 months significantly improved the VAS for individual problems with 4.7 (SD 2.0; p = 0.000), VAS for ease of care with 5.2 (SD 2.1; p = 0.000), VAS for pain with 5.4 (SD 2.7; p = 0.002); GMFM sitting dimension with 3.3 (range −4.0 to 22.0; p = 0.022), GMFM goal dimension with 4.0 (range 0.0–26.0; p = 0.007); and Child Health Questionnaire-PF50 domains of bodily pain/discomfort with 25.6 (SD 35.9; p = 0.016) and mental health with 9.8 (SD 11.3; p = 0.007). During a mean follow-up of 18.4 months (range 12–24), we recorded 80 adverse events. Eight adverse events were serious, but not life-threatening. Conclusions CITB was effective at 12 months and safe up to 24 months for carefully selected children with intractable spastic CP. CITB relieved pain, facilitated ease of care and improved mental health. The majority of children could extend their activities and participation.

Reliability and Validity of the Child Health QuestionnairePF-50 for European Children with Cerebral Palsy

To evaluate the psychometric performance of the Child Health Questionnaire (CHQ) in children with cerebral palsy (CP). 818 parents of children with CP, aged 8-12 from nine regions of Europe completed the CHQ (parent form 50 items). Functional abilities were classified using the five-level Gross Motor Function Classification Scheme (Levels I-III as ambulant; Level IV-V as nonambulant CP). Ceiling effects were observed for a number of subscales and summary scores across all Gross Motor Function Classification System levels, whilst floor effects occurred only in the physical functioning scale (Level V CP). Reliability was satisfactory overall. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) revealed a seven-factor structure for the total sample of children with CP but with different factor structures for ambulant and nonambulant children. The CHQ has limited applicability in children with CP, although with judicious use of certain domains for ambulant and nonambulant children can provide useful and comparable data about child health status for descriptive purposes.

Health-related quality of life and metabolic control in children with type 1 diabetes: a prospective cohort study.

To assess change in health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in children with diabetes over 2 years and determine its relationship to change in metabolic control. In 1998, parents of children aged 5-18 years attending a tertiary diabetes clinic reported their child's HRQOL using the Child Health Questionnaire PF-50. Those aged 12-18 years also self-reported their HRQOL using the analogous Child Health Questionnaire CF-80. HbA(1c) levels were recorded. In 2000, identical measures were collected for those who were aged < or =18 years and still attending the clinic. Of 117 eligible subjects, 83 (71%) participated. Parents reported no significant difference in children's HRQOL at baseline and follow-up. However, adolescents reported significant improvements on the Family Activities (P < 0.001), Bodily Pain (P = 0.04), and General Health Perceptions (P = 0.001) scales and worsening on the Behavior (P = 0.04) scale. HbA(1c) at baseline and follow-up were strongly correlated (r = 0.57). HbA(1c) increased significantly (mean 7.8% in 1998 vs. 8.5% in 2000; P < 0.001), with lower baseline HbA(1c) strongly predicting an increase in HbA(1c) over the 2 years (r(2) = 0.25, P < 0.001). Lower parent-reported Physical Summary and adolescent-reported Physical Functioning scores at baseline also predicted increasing HbA(1c). Poorer parent-reported Psychosocial Summary scores were related to higher HbA(1c) at both times but did not predict change in HbA(1c). Changes in parent and adolescent reports of HRQOL differ. Better physical functioning may protect against deteriorating HbA(1c), at least in the medium term. While the HRQOL of children with diabetes does not appear to deteriorate over time, we should not be complacent, as it is consistently poorer than that of their healthy peers.

Health status of Australian children with mild to severe cerebral palsy: cross-sectional survey using the Child Health Questionnaire.

The aim of this study was to describe child health and well-being across the spectrum of cerebral palsy (CP) and to report on psychometric properties of the Child Health Questionnaire (CHQ) in this population. Parents of 80 individuals (45 males, 35 females; mean age 11 years 4 months, SD 3 years 6 months; range 5 to 18 years) attending a CP clinic in Victoria, Australia were surveyed. Measures included the CHQ PF-50, a 50-item parent-reported heath status measure; severity of CP, based on the Gross Motor Function Classification System; and cognitive status and presence of epilepsy. CHQ data were compared with normative data collected in Victoria two years earlier. The CHQ demonstrated good psychometric properties for children with CP. Children with CP had markedly poorer health on every CHQ scale than those in the normative sample. Health status did not vary by cognitive status or epilepsy. Children with severe CP had the poorest physical health, but psychosocial health and emotional impact on parents were similar for mild and severe CP showing that these should not be assumed to be less prevalent when CP is mild.