Gender Differences in the Effects of Psychosocial Health of Adolescents with Chronic Illness on Quality of Life

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Recently, considering the large number of adolescents suffering from chronic illness, it is important to identify the factors affecting the quality of life (QoL) in order to develop intervention programs. METHODS: Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS 21.0. The general characteristics, psychosocial health status, and life satisfaction distributions of the participants were analyzed using frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation. Cronbach's alpha coefficients were calculated to test the reliability of the instrument. The differences in psychosocial health status and life satisfaction according to gender were tested with t-test and Chi-square test. Additionally, multiple regression analysis was used to examine the effect of psychosocial health status on life satisfaction. RESULTS: The multiple regression analysis revealed that depression, ego resilience, and self-esteem were associated with the QoL in both male and female participants. Economic status, subjective health, peer attachment, and smart phone addiction were associated with the QoL in male participants, while exercise time during physical education classes, social withdrawal, and school adaptation were associated with the QoL in female participants. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that a health promotion program should be developed, which reflects gender differences, to improve the QoL of adolescents with chronic illness.