Eskander, M., Kharboush, I., Marzouk, I., Elgrawany, H. (2023). Health Related Quality of Life of Under Five Children with Down Syndrome and Sociodemographic Correlates. Journal of High Institute of Public Health, 53(1), 1-9. doi: 10.21608/jhiph.2023.314774
Mariam F. Eskander; Ibrahim F. Kharboush; Iman M. Marzouk; Hala I. Elgrawany. "Health Related Quality of Life of Under Five Children with Down Syndrome and Sociodemographic Correlates". Journal of High Institute of Public Health, 53, 1, 2023, 1-9. doi: 10.21608/jhiph.2023.314774
Eskander, M., Kharboush, I., Marzouk, I., Elgrawany, H. (2023). 'Health Related Quality of Life of Under Five Children with Down Syndrome and Sociodemographic Correlates', Journal of High Institute of Public Health, 53(1), pp. 1-9. doi: 10.21608/jhiph.2023.314774
Eskander, M., Kharboush, I., Marzouk, I., Elgrawany, H. Health Related Quality of Life of Under Five Children with Down Syndrome and Sociodemographic Correlates. Journal of High Institute of Public Health, 2023; 53(1): 1-9. doi: 10.21608/jhiph.2023.314774
Health Related Quality of Life of Under Five Children with Down Syndrome and Sociodemographic Correlates
1Department of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Education for Early Childhood, Alexandria University, Egypt
2Department of Family Health, High Institute of Public Health, Alexandria University, Egypt
3Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Egypt
Abstract
Background: Many researchers have revealed that health related quality of life (HRQOL) is significantly related to multiple socio-demographic factors in the general population. Only one previous research examined HRQOL in under five children with Down Syndrome (DS). So far, there are no DS-specific or gold standard tools present for this purpose. Objective(s): This study aimed to measure HRQOL in under five children with DS and to investigate its relation to some socio-demographic characteristics of under 5 children with DS and their caregivers. Methods: In a cross-sectional study of 267 under five children with DS, HRQOL was measured with the TNO-AZL Preschool Children Quality of Life (TAPQOL) questionnaire. TAPQOL was translated into Arabic and validated. Sociodemographic data were collected through a validated pre-designed structured interview questionnaire filled by the caregivers (mostly mothers). Results: The study revealed that 59.6%, 37.1% and 3.4% of the studied children had good, fair and poor HRQOL, respectively. Good HRQOL were significantly associated with children age group (1-<1.5 years) (0.000), mothers’ age group (<20 years) (0.039), professional work of the father (00.000) and married parents (0.042). These results were statistically significant. Nearly two thirds (62.5%) of the studied children with average socioeconomic status, had good HRQOL. This result was not statistically significant. Conclusion: More than half of the studied sample had good HRQOL. Good HRQOL were significantly associated with children age group (1-<1.5 years), mothers’ age group (<20 years), professional work of the father and married parents. The relation between the HRQOL and the socioeconomic class was not significant.