Influence of physical limitation in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis

Abstract

Background Health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is an important outcome measure in understanding the impact of chronic illness. Aim of the Work We saught to measure the amplitude of physical disability in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis in relation to HRQOL. Patients and Methods This analytical cross sectional study was conducted on children with JIA following up at the Pediatric Allergy and Immunology Clinic, Children's Hospital, Ain Shams University in the period from May 2018 to May 2019 The sample included 119 patients who were enrolled consecutively by using The Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory TM Version 4.0 (PedsQLTM). Results Physical problem score showed negative correlation with age, age at onset (years) and disease duration (years). The older the child was and the longer the duration of the illness the more severe was his awareness of physicaical disability. Conclusion Juvenile idiopathic arthritis has a negative impact on physical abilities in child which influence their quality of life.