Examining changes in self-perceived quality of life in children and adolescents with physical disability using a longitudinal design

Abstract

Purpose: The study aimed to investigate the changes in self-perceived quality of life (QOL) of children and adolescents with physical disability (PD).

Method: Two hundred students aged 10-18 with PD were recruited from primary and high schools in Taiwan to participate in this longitudinal study. The Student Version of the Comprehensive Quality of Life Scale (COMQOL-S) was used to measure self-perceived QOL, which was recorded at baseline, and 6, 12 and 18 months post-baseline. Statistically, linear mixed models were used to compare the QOL scores among the four time points.

Results: At the second, third and fourth visit, 192, 151 and 128 participants completed COMQOL-S, respectively. Significant changes over time were found in overall objective and subjective OQL scores (slope = 0.8, p = 0.002 and slope = -1.3, p < 0.001, respectively). Specifically, significant reductions of the subjective QOL scores over the period of the four visits were observed in five domains, namely, Productivity (slope = -1.7, p = 0.005), Intimacy (slope = -1.6, p = 0.004), Safety (slope = -1.6, p = 0.008), Place in community (slope = -1.4, p = 0.019) and Emotional wellbeing (slope = -2.5, p < 0.001). Age was negatively correlated with the change of overall subjective score. Positive correlation was found between the change in mean objective scores and mean subjective scores in the Intimacy and Productivity domains.

Conclusions: Even though the conditions of material wellbeing and health can be kept steady, the overall QOL of children and adolescents with PD could still decline over time. This might be attributable to the fact that social life becomes more sophisticated when children become older.