Quality of Life of School-aged Children Living with Chronic Illness: A Convergent Mixed Method Study
Keywords:
Chronic illness, Quality of life, School-aged childrenAbstract
Quality of life for school-aged children with chronic illnesses requires holistic care from family, school, and healthcare professionals. This descriptive study used a mixed-methods, convergent triangulation design aimed at examining the quality of life of school-aged children living with chronic illness. The participants consisted of school-aged children who visited the outpatient department or were admitted to the pediatric ward at one study hospital. The first phase was quantitative and used a survey method. The participants in this phase comprised 184 school-aged children. Participants were selected using a convenience sampling method based on predetermined criteria. Data were collected using the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQLTM 4.0) and a demographic questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and chi-square test were employed for analyzing quantitative data. The second phase employed a qualitative method, utilizing semi-structured interview questions for in-depth interviews. Purposive sampling was employed to select 16 school-aged children. Content analysis was used for qualitative data analysis.
Results of the quantitative study showed the overall quality of life of school-aged children with chronic illnesses at a good level, with 57.6% classified as having normal quality of life and 42.4% as having lower quality of life. The domains of quality of life–physical, emotional, and social functioning–were at a normal level, while the school functioning domain was at a lower level. When comparing illnesses and quality of life levels, no significant difference was found between different chronic diseases and PedsQL scores. The results of the qualitative data analysis revealed three major aspects of the quality of life of school-aged children living with chronic illnesses, including: 1) living a normal life within limitations – a perspective from children with good quality of life; 2) a life different from others – a reflection from children with poor quality of life; and 3) the burden of managing their own health.
The results of this study provide a deeper understanding of the quality of life among school-aged children living with chronic illnesses. These insights can serve as a foundation for developing structured support interventions, especially in the education domain, and for formulating strategies to support their adaptation to illness.
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