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Quality of Life of Children with Congenital Heart Diseases: A Multicenter Controlled Cross-Sectional Study

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Abstract

To assess the health-related quality of life (QoL) in children with congenital heart diseases (CHD) with a validated questionnaire in comparison with control children. We prospectively recruited 282 children with CHD aged from 8 to 18 years in two tertiary care centers (France and Belgium) and 180 same-age controls in randomly selected French schools. Children’s QoL was self-reported with the KIDSCREEN-52 questionnaire and reported by parents with the KIDSCREEN-27. QoL scores of each dimension were compared between CHD and controls and between the classes of disease severity. Both centers were comparable for most demographic and clinical data. Age- and gender-adjusted self-reported QoL scores were lower in CHD children than in controls for physical well-being (mean ± SEM 45.97 ± 0.57 vs 50.16 ± 0.71, p < 0.0001), financial resources (45.72 ± 0.70 vs 48.85 ± 0.87, p = 0.01), peers/social support (48.01 ± 0.72 vs 51.02 ± 0.88, p = 0.01), and autonomy in the multivariate analysis (47.63 ± 0.69 vs 49.28 ± 0.85, p = 0.04). Parents-reported scores were lower in CHD children for physical (p < 0.0001), psychological well-being (p = 0.04), peers/social support (p < 0.0001), and school environment (p < 0.0001) dimensions. Similarly, the disease severity had an impact on physical well-being (p < 0.001), financial resources (p = 0.05), and peers/social support (p = 0.01) for self-reported dimensions, and on physical well-being (p < 0.001), psychological well-being (p < 0.01), peers/social support (p < 0.001), and school environment (p < 0.001) for parents-reported dimensions. However, in multivariate analysis on self-reported QoL, disease severity was significantly associated with the self-perception dimension only. Self-reported QoL of CHD children was similar to that of same-age healthy children in seven of 10 dimensions, but parents-reported QoL was impaired in four of five dimensions.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Christophe Azorin, National Ministry of Education, for his collaboration to perform the study in schools. We thank Anne Cadène for the quality of study monitoring. Medical writing assistance was provided by Valerie Macioce and Sylvie Ertel. This work was supported by Montpellier University Hospital (PHRC).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Pediatric and Congenital Cardiology Department, University Hospital, Montpellier, France

    P. Amedro, R. Dorka, S. Guillaumont, B. Borm, G. De La Villeon, M. Vincenti & M. Voisin

  2. Pediatric and Congenital Cardiology Department, St-Luc University Hospital, Brussels, Belgium

    S. Moniotte, C. Barrea, C. Ovaert & T. Sluysmans

  3. Pediatric and Congenital Cardiology Department, La Timone University Hospital, Marseille, France

    A. Fraisse, B. Kreitmann & C. Ovaert

  4. Department of Public Health, EA 3279 Research Unit, Aix-Marseille University, Marseille, France

    P. Amedro & P. Auquier

  5. Clinical Research and Epidemiology Unit, University Hospital, Montpellier, France

    H. Bertet & M. C. Picot

  6. Clinical Investigation Center, University Hospital, Montpellier, France

    H. Bertet

  7. Physiology and Experimental Biology of Heart and Muscles Laboratory - PHYMEDEXP, UMR CNRS 9214 – INSERM U1046, Montpellier University, Montpellier, France

    P. Amedro & M. Vincenti

  8. Clinical Investigation Center, INSERM–CIC 1411, Montpellier, France

    M. C. Picot

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  1. P. Amedro
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Amedro, P., Dorka, R., Moniotte, S. et al. Quality of Life of Children with Congenital Heart Diseases: A Multicenter Controlled Cross-Sectional Study. Pediatr Cardiol 36, 1588–1601 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00246-015-1201-x

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