Research

Quality of Life as reported by school children and their parents: a cross-sectional survey

Thomas Jozefiak¹ , Bo Larsson¹ , Lars Wichstrøm² , Fritz Mattejat³ and Ulrike Ravens-Sieberer^4,5

¹  The Norwegian University of Technology and Science (NTNU), Regional Centre of Child and Adolescent Mental Health MTFS N-7489, Dept. of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry St. Olav Hospital, 7000 Trondheim, Norway

²  The Norwegian University of Technology and Science (NTNU) – Department of Psychology, N-7491 Trondheim, Norway

³  Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Universitätsklinikum Gießen und Marburg, Hans-Sachs-Str. 6 35039 Marburg, Germany

⁴  University of Bielefeld, School of Public Health – WHO Collaborating Center, Postfach 10 01 31 D-33501 Bielefeld, Germany

⁵  Current Address : University Clinic Hamburg-Eppendorf, Center for Obstetrics and Pediatrics, Department of Psychosomatics in Children and Adolescents Building W 29 (Erikahaus)Martinistr. 52 D - 20246 Hamburg, Germany

author email corresponding author email

Health and Quality of Life Outcomes 2008, 6:34doi:10.1186/1477-7525-6-34

Published:	19 May 2008

Abstract

Background

Comprehensive evidence exists regarding the discrepancy between children's reports and parents' by proxy reports on emotional and behavioural problems. However, little is yet known about factors influencing the extent to which child self- and parent by proxy reports differ in respect of child Quality of Life (QoL). The aim of the study was to investigate the degree of discrepancy between child and parent by proxy reports as measured by two different QoL instruments.

Methods

A representative Norwegian sample of 1997 school children aged 8–16 years, and their parents were studied using the Inventory of Life Quality (ILC) and the 'Kinder Lebensqualität Fragebogen' (KINDL). Child and parent reports were compared by t-test, and correlations were calculated by Pearson product moment coefficient. Psychometric aspects were examined in regard to both translated QoL instruments (internal consistency by Cronbach's alpha and test-retest reliability by intraclass correlation coefficients).

Results

Parents evaluated the QoL of their children significantly more positively than did the children. Correlations between mother-child and father-child reports were significant (p < 0.01) and similar but low to moderate (r = 0.32; and r = 0.30, respectively, for the KINDL, and r = 0.30 and r = 0.26, respectively, for the ILC). Mother and father reports correlated moderately highly (r = 0.54 and r = 0.61 for the KINDL and ILC, respectively). No significant differences between correlations of mother-daughter/son and father-daughter/son pairs in regard to reported child QoL were observed on either of the two instruments.

Conclusion

In the present general population sample, parents reported higher child QoL than did their children. Concordance between child and parent by proxy report was low to moderate. The level of agreement between mothers and fathers in regard to their child's QoL was moderate. No significant impact of parent and child gender in regard to agreement in ratings of child QoL was found. Both the child and parent versions of the Norwegian translations of the KINDL and ILC can be used in surveys of community populations, but in regard to the self-report of 9–10 years old children, only the KINDL total QoL scale or the ILC are recommended.