학술논문
Health-related quality of life in Polish children and adolescents with perinatal HIV infection – short report.
Document Type
Article
Author
Source
Subject
*ACADEMIC achievement
*COMMUNICABLE diseases
*COMPARATIVE studies
*PSYCHOLOGY of HIV-positive persons
*PREGNANCY complications
*QUALITY of life
*SOCIAL participation
*SOCIOECONOMIC factors
*CAREGIVER attitudes
*PARENT attitudes
*VERTICAL transmission (Communicable diseases)
*DESCRIPTIVE statistics
*ADOLESCENCE
*CHILDREN
HIV infections & psychology
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Language
ISSN
0954-0121
Abstract
The aims of the study were to assess health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in children and adolescents with perinatal HIV infection and to establish possible relationships with clinical and socio-demographic variables. About 56 children with perinatal HIV infection, aged 6–18 years (PHIV+ group), 24 healthy perinatally HIV-exposed but uninfected (PHEU) children, and 43 children HIV-unexposed uninfected (HUU) were assessed using the PedsQL 4.0. Generic Core. The perceptions of school functioning according to children and social functioning, according to parents, were worse in the PHIV+ group compared to those in the PHEU group. In comparison to the HUU group, PHIV+ children received lower total HRQoL scores in the caregivers' perception. Most of the life-quality indices increased systematically with age in PHIV+ group, whereas opposite trends were present in both control groups. Caregivers of children with a final CDC category C and caregivers of children diagnosed with encephalopathy perceived most domains of their children functioning as more problematic. A more serious course and more severe HIV infection before treatment were associated with worse multidimensional functioning and a worse total HRQoL score. Results highlight the importance of early diagnosis and treatment initiation as having significant implications for the quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]