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Quality of life in children with vesicoureteral reflux

Darcie A Kiddoo1, Faria Ajamian, Ambikaipakan Senthilselvan

  • 1Division of Pediatric Surgery, University of Alberta, Alberta, Canada. dkiddoo@ualberta.ca

Pediatric Nephrology (Berlin, Germany)
|October 1, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Children with vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) experience better anxiety and social functioning but report more behavioral and communication issues. Management of VUR impacts quality of life, particularly gastrointestinal complaints.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Nephrology
  • Urology
  • Quality of Life Research

Background:

  • Vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) is a common condition in children, often associated with urinary tract infections.
  • Standard treatments include antibiotic prophylaxis and ureteric surgery.
  • The impact of VUR and its treatments on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in children requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in children diagnosed with grade III or higher VUR.
  • To compare the HRQOL of VUR patients with normative control data.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort of children aged 1-5 years with grade III+ VUR was identified from electronic records.
  • Parents completed the TNO-AZL Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research Academic Medical Centre Quality of Life (TAPQOL) questionnaire.
  • VUR patient QOL scores were compared to normative controls using the Mann-Whitney U test.

Main Results:

  • A response rate of 33% was achieved from mailed surveys (32/96).
  • Children with VUR demonstrated significantly better scores in anxiety and social functioning compared to controls (p < 0.01).
  • Conversely, the VUR group reported significantly worse outcomes in problem behavior, stomach complaints, and communication (p < 0.01).

Conclusions:

  • Children with VUR generally maintain a reasonable quality of life compared to their peers.
  • The diagnosis and management of VUR significantly affect children's behavior, communication, and gastrointestinal health.
  • Chronic medical interventions associated with VUR management may contribute to these observed quality of life alterations.

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