Self-assessment and parental assessment of quality of life children with coeliac disease

Abstract

Background: Celiac disease is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by intolerance to gluten. Treatment is carried out by strict lifelong gluten-free diet. Study aims to determine the quality of life children and adolescents with celiac disease who are on controlled diet, based on self-assessment and proxy assessment by their parents. Methods: The study included 116 children and adolescents diagnosed with celiac disease who are on a gluten free diet for at least one year and the same number of their parents. The children were aged 5 to 18 years. The patients and their parents were recruited at the Institute for Maternal and Childs healthcare of Serbia and the University Children s Hospital in Belgrade. The used instruments were a child and parent version of the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory and the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorder. Results: The results in both versions of the questionnaires Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory showed similar values. (P> 0.05, all analyzes). There was a greater value of three scores in instrument named Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorder (questionnaire for children) compared to (questionnaire for parents). These are the total score (p<0.05), separation anxiety (p<0.01) and the avoidance of the school (p<0.05). Conclusions: Disagreement between the children s selfassessment and parental assessment, justifies the importance of hearing subjective children s opinion on their quality of life as well as of their parents. This research has given us information about some of the critical points by which we can focus future studies.