Health-related quality of life in children with chronic kidney disease in Assiut, Egypt

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is known to be one of the major health
issues in children under the age of 18 years. CKD affects every organ in the body
therefore, has a major consequence on both mortality and quality of life (QoL) of children.
Objective: To compare QoL in diseased and healthy children and find out factors
associated with QoL score in children with CKD. Method: a cross sectional comparative
study was conducted on 250 children with CKD and 250 healthy peers using the Pediatric
qualify of life inventory (PedsQL) 4.0. Results: Healthy children achieved statistically
significant higher mean PedsQL in all domains of quality of life in all domains of
PedsQL . Children on conservative treatment achieved statistically significant higher
scores in all domains of PedsQL than those on dialysis. There was no statistically
significant difference in all domains of PedsQL regarding the severity of CKD.
Children receiving hemodialysis reported lower scores in all dimensions of QoL than
children on conservative treatment. Conclusion: HRQoL of children with CKD assessed
by PedsQL was lower compared to healthy controls and school functioning was the
most affected dimension. Study limitations: Children were recruited during routine follow
up or after hemodialysis session so, reported scores were not in direct response to an acute
event in disease process requiring hospitalization. Implications: Application of
psychosocial counseling program for children and their families together with social and
educational support groups to enable children with CKD to live and function
independently in adulthood.