Changes in Quality of Life in Elementary School Children-The Health Oriented Pedagogical Project (HOPP)

Abstract

Background: Quality of life (QoL) studies may provide information of change in healthstatus in the population. Few studies have followed up previous cross-sectional studies to investigateany change in the QoL status of healthy children. The aim of the current study is to compare QoL inchildren 6–12 years old in two large cross-sectional studies of healthy children completed a decadeapart. Methods: In the current study children and parents from nine elementary schools (n = 2816)were included in a cross-sectional study investigating children’s QoL. Using the Life Quality inChildren and Adolescents (ILC), completed by both children and parents, the global QoL-score wasestimated for 2297 children and 1639 parental reports. These results were compared to a similarstudy performed in 2004. The scores from both studies were divided into categories of below average,average and above average QoL. The percentage change of QoL between the two studies is presented.Results: Our results show that parents report that more children have below and above average QoLin 2015 compared to 2004. In contrast, more children scored in the average and above average QoLcategory in 2015 than in 2004. Conclusion: Parents reported lower QoL and children higher QoL in2015 compared to 2004.