Abstract

A triangulated descriptive research design was used to examine the relationships between quality of life (QOL), health status and physical disability among children between the ages of 8 and 15. A non-random sample (N = 80) of children with and without physical disabilities and their parents participated in this exploratory study. Children were asked to rank their quality of life from one to ten using a modified version of the Child Health Assessment Ladder (CHASL) (Norton, 1987) and then to discuss the rank they chose. QOL scores did not differ significantly between groups (M = 7 for both groups). Thirty percent of children in both groups ranked their lives as being equal to a "9" or a "10". Children defined a score of "7" as representing a life that was "really good". Both groups of children identified school, friends, and family as important to QOL but in different ways. Parents and children completed the Child Health Questionnaire (CHQ) (Landgraf, Abetz & Ware, 1996) which measures health status across 14 subscales. The CHQ-PF28 was used with parents and the CHQ-87 was used with children. With the exception of physical function, health status did not differ between groups of children. Significant differences between the children and their parents were found in every subscale. There were no significant relationships between quality of life scores and health status, indicating that quality of life is something apart from health status. Furthermore instruments that measure health status do not measure QOL and should not be used for that purpose. This study also demonstrates that children are reliable reporters of their QOL and their health status and should be included in planning their health care. Implications for education, practice, and policy as well as ethical considerations are discussed.

Description

This dissertation has also been disseminated through the ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database. Dissertation/thesis number: 9828129; ProQuest document ID: 304483840. The author still retains copyright.

Author Details

Sharron E. Guillett, PhD

Sigma Membership

Rho Pi

Type

Dissertation

Format Type

Text-based Document

Study Design/Type

Descriptive/Correlational

Research Approach

Pilot/Exploratory Study

Keywords:

Children, Physical Disabilities, Quality of Life, Healthcare Planning, Health Status

Advisor

Rita Ailinger

Second Advisor

Jean Moore

Third Advisor

Barbara Given

Degree

PhD

Degree Grantor

George Mason University

Degree Year

1998

Rights Holder

All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record.

All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository.

All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.

Review Type

None: Degree-based Submission

Acquisition

Proxy-submission

Date of Issue

2021-12-20

Full Text of Presentation

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