Health-related quality of life in 22q11.2 deletion syndrome: The child's perspective.

ABSTRACT

AIM: The 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22qDS) is a genetic syndrome that results in a complex physical, behavioural and psychological phenotype. Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is an established clinical outcome that has been minimally studied in children with 22qDS. The purpose of this study was to explore HRQOL among children and adolescents with 22qDS from the perspective of the child and to determine how their HRQOL measures compare to those of a healthy peer group and a chronic disease peer group. METHODS: We recruited individuals between the ages of 8 and 18 with a positive genetic diagnosis of 22qDS (n = 28) and a parent of the child. Participants completed the paired Paediatric Quality of Life Inventory 4.0 questionnaires. Comparisons were made with a previous study of healthy and diseased children. RESULTS: Children with 22qDS had a significantly poorer HRQOL when compared to age-matched cohorts of healthy children and children with chronic disease. Within the study, there was variable proxy-self agreement, and children with 22qDS reported lower HRQOL than adolescents with 22qDS. CONCLUSION: This study is the first to explore HRQOL from the perspective of the child with 22qDS, and our findings support the existing literature that this condition is associated with a poor HRQOL.