Related Experiment Videos
Quality of life in children with Crohn disease
1University of Queensland, Children's Nutrition Research Centre, Discipline of Paediatrics and Child Health, Australia. rj.hill@uq.edu.au
Insights
Children with Crohn disease (CD) diagnosed within 6 months have lower quality of life (QOL) than those diagnosed later. Regular QOL assessments are recommended for these patients and those with significant disease activity or complications.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Gastroenterology
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease Research
- Quality of Life Studies
Background:
- Quality of life (QOL) is a critical outcome measure in pediatric chronic diseases.
- Children with Crohn disease (CD) often experience impaired QOL, particularly early in their disease course.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate QOL in Australian children with CD.
- To analyze the relationship between QOL, disease duration, disease activity, and treatment in pediatric CD patients.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the IMPACT-III questionnaire to assess QOL in 41 children with CD.
- Employed the Pediatric Crohn's Disease Activity Index (PCDAI) to measure disease activity.
- Collected 186 paired measurements of QOL and disease activity.
Main Results:
- QOL was significantly lower in patients within 6 months of diagnosis compared to those diagnosed longer ago.
- Higher disease activity correlated with poorer QOL (r = -0.51, P = 0.00).
- The PCDAI and its clinical components were significant predictors of QOL; disease duration, age, and sex were not significant predictors.
Conclusions:
- Children diagnosed with CD within 6 months exhibit impaired QOL.
- Regular QOL assessments are beneficial for children with CD, especially those with growth issues, high disease activity, or complications.
Objectives:
: Quality of life (QOL) is reportedly poor in children with Crohn disease (CD) but improves with increasing disease duration. This article aims to detail QOL in a cohort of Australian children with CD in relation to disease duration, disease activity, and treatment.
Materials And Methods:
: QOL, assessed using the IMPACT-III questionnaire, and disease activity measures, assessed using the Pediatric Crohn's Disease Activity Index (PCDAI), were available in 41 children with CD. For this cohort, a total of 186 measurements of both parameters were available.
Results:
: QOL was found to be significantly lower, and disease activity significantly higher (F = 31.1, P = 0.00), in patients within 6 months of their diagnosis compared with those up to 2.5 years, up to 5 years, and beyond 5 years since diagnosis. Higher disease activity was associated with poorer QOL (r = -0.51, P = 0.00). Total QOL was highest in children on nil medications and lowest in children on enteral nutrition. The PCDAI (t = -6.0, P = 0.00) was a significant predictor of QOL, with the clinical history (t = -6.9, P = 0.00) and examination (t = -2.9, P = 0.01) sections of the PCDAI significantly predicting QOL. Disease duration, age, or sex was neither related to nor significant predictors of QOL, but height z score and type of treatment approached significance.
Conclusions:
: Children with CD within 6 months of their diagnosis have impaired QOL compared with those diagnosed beyond 6 months. These patients, along with those with growth impairment, ongoing elevated disease activity with abdominal pain, diarrhoea and/or perirectal and extraintestinal complications, may benefit from regular assessments of QOL as part of their clinical treatment.
Related Concept Videos
01:25Inflammatory Bowel Disease III: Crohn's Disease
01:30Inflammatory Bowel Disease II: Crohn's Disease
Inflammatory bowel disease, commonly known as IBD, refers to a collection of disorders that lead to persistent inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. The two types of IBD are ulcerative colitis, which impacts the colon, and Crohn's disease, which can involve any part of the gastrointestinal segment.
Crohn's disease
Crohn's disease is a chronic, systemic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that predominantly affects the gastrointestinal tract. It is marked by transmural...
01:30Inflammatory Bowel Disease III: Diagnostic Studies and Management I-Nutritional Therapy
Diagnostic studies
A colonoscopy is the definitive screening test, distinguishing ulcerative colitis from other colon diseases with similar symptoms. During a colonoscopy test, inflamed mucosa with exudate ulcerations can be observed, and biopsies are taken to determine the histologic characteristics of the colonic...
01:20Inflammatory Bowel Disease IV: Clinical Manifestations
01:29Drugs for Treatment of Crohn's Disease in IBD Using Immunomodulatory Agents
01:17Chronic Bowel Disorders: Introduction
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a common disorder affecting the gastrointestinal tract. The distinctive feature is recurrent abdominal pain associated with altered bowel movements, manifesting as constipation, diarrhea, or fluctuating between both. The...