Evaluating the quality of life in children with gastroesophagel reflux disease

Abstract

Background. The purpose of the study was the assessment of the quality of life in adolescents with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) during the treatment. Materials and methods. 49 children aged 13–17 years with gastroesophageal reflux disease were examined. The comparison group consisted of 40 apparently healthy children of the same age. The effectiveness of therapy was evaluated during the treatment and in catamnesis, three months later. Quality of life was assessed using the PedsQL 4.0 inventory adapted for children aged 13 to 18 years, and GSRS — a specialized questionnaire for patients with digestive system diseases. Results. It was found that during the exacerbation of GERD, PedsQL 4.0 scores for all scales of the quality of life, especially psychophysiological features in children, reduced significantly by parent’s estimations. According to the GSRS questionnaire, a positive clinical effect was observed after the treatment, but the analysis of the PedsQL 4.0 inventory scales showed that the rates remained significantly lower compared to the control group. Only after 3 months, there was a positive trend toward increasing the number of points according to all the criteria of the PedsQL 4.0 inventory, which described improvements in the quality of teenager’s lives. Conclusions. The study of the quality of life parameters in the period of GERD clinical remission is a necessary component of treatment and the main criterion for assessing the state in adolescents. It allow to determine the clinical effectiveness and time of the main course of therapy, as well as to predict further course of the disease.

Keywords

• gastroesophageal reflux disease
• children
• quality of life
• quality of life inventory PedsQL-4
• special questionnaire GSRS