Examining Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL), disease-specific quality of life, and coping behaviors in adolescents with renal disease

Abstract

Introduction: To examine and compare the Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) and disease-specific HRQoL of pediatric renal dialysis and transplant patients based on patients' perspectives. The coping strategies employed by these two groups of patients were also investigated. Methods: Ten adolescents who had undergone kidney transplants (mean age 17.80±1.55 years) and 19 adolescents who were receiving dialysis treatments (mean age 17.16±2.19 years) participated in the study and were asked to complete three questionnaires: PedsQL 4.0 Generic Core Module, PedsQL End-Stage Renal Disease Module, and the KIDCOPE. Results: Compared to pediatric kidney transplant patients, adolescents on dialysis reported more difficulties with school functioning and lower overall HRQoL. They also reported having more concerns with adhering to treatment and diets, more problems with family and peer interaction, and lower disease-specific HRQoL than transplant patients. Differences in preferred types of coping strategies were found based on gender and type of medical treatment. Discussion: Directions for future research to further investigate the variables associated with psychological wellbeing and adaptive coping among pediatric renal patients were discussed based on study findings. Possible psychosocial variables that might have influenced detected differences in patients' HRQoL outcomes between the transplant and dialysis groups were also discussed, with a focus on the types of coping strategies employed by the respective patient groups. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.