The value of the PedsQLTM in assessing quality of life in survivors of childhood cancer

Abstract

Aims: To determine differences in ratings of quality of life (QOL) depending on respondent (mother or child) and implications for the validity of measures of QOL, and interpretation of scores.

Method: Forty-five survivors of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) and 23 survivors of central nervous system (CNS) tumours and their mothers completed a generic measure of QOL: the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory Version 4.0 (PedsQL 4.0; Varni et al., 2001).

Results: Although correlations between mother and survivor ratings were largely moderate to good, further analyses showed that mothers reported QOL to be worse than survivors. Both mothers and survivors rated physical health worse than psychological health, and survivors of a CNS tumour had poorer QOL than survivors of ALL. Although survivors of ALL reported reasonably good physical health, their psychosocial health was more adversely affected.

Conclusions: Implications for further use of the PedsQL 4.0 in the clinical or research context are discussed. Incidental findings highlight some limitations of the PedsQL 4.0 for work with this population.