Maternal, paternal, and family health-related quality of life in the context of pediatric inflammatory bowel disease.

PURPOSE

The primary aim of this study was to examine the associations of disease activity and adolescent adjustment with parent and family health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among families of youths with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). A secondary aim was to compare maternal and paternal perceptions of parent and family functioning.

METHODS

Ninety-five primarily Caucasian families (92 mothers and 43 fathers) of youths with IBD ranging in age from 11 to 18 participated. Most adolescents were diagnosed with Crohn's disease and had been diagnosed with IBD for several years at the time of the study. Parents completed the PedsQL Family Impact Module, while youths completed the Pediatric Symptoms Checklist. Disease activity ratings were obtained from medical records.

RESULTS

Multiple regression analyses suggested that disease activity was consistently associated with all father-reported outcomes and explained twice as much of the variance in father-reported parent and family HRQoL outcomes compared to mother-reported outcomes. In contrast, youth adjustment was consistently associated with all maternal outcomes but only one paternal outcome, and explained nearly twice as much variance in maternal-reported outcomes compared to paternal-reported outcomes. No significant differences between maternal and paternal reports of parent or family HRQoL were identified using independent samples t tests.

CONCLUSIONS

Although mothers and fathers report similar individual and family HRQoL, the strength of associations between disease and youth adjustment factors with these outcomes differs somewhat by parent gender. Findings underscore the importance of examining maternal and paternal functioning separately and incorporating routine family assessment into the course of treatment.