Health-related quality of life and associated factors in children with crohn’s disease at Vietnam National Children’s Hospital

Abstract

Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is increasingly recognized as one of the goals of holistic healthcare. Crohn's disease is the most common inflammatory bowel disease that necessitates long-term management and increases the risk of psychological distress and social disruption, leading to impaired HRQoL in comparison to healthy controls. We administered the PedsQLTM 4.0 scale to 40 children aged 2 to 17 years with Crohn’s disease and their parents to evaluate the HRQoL of patients and define the variables that impact these individuals. Our study indicated that children with Crohn's disease experienced a decrease in their HRQoL in school functioning. We found that factors related to decreased quality of life in these patients included gender (female), stunting, living in low-income families, higher disease activity index, and undergoing surgical intervention.