Health-related quality of life of children with chronic kidney disease at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Port Harcourt

Abstract

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) has implications on different aspects of the lives of children, which can impact their quality of life. Recently, quality of life has been receiving attention as a measure of treatment outcome and a more reliable indicator of the impact of disease than clinical opinion. This study aims to assess the health-related quality of life of children with CKD and associated factors.

Methods: The study was a cross-sectional study of children with CKD at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital. The sociodemographic and clinical details were obtained from the participants and their medical records. The health-related quality of life (HRQoL) was assessed using the PedsQL™ version 4.0 Generic Core Scales questionnaire.

Results: A total of 64 children aged 5–18 years were recruited. The median (IQR) age of children with CKD was 12.00 (9.00–14.00) years, with 46.9% of them aged between 13 and 18 years. There were 35 (54.7%) males and 29 (45.3%) females. Twenty (31.3%) of the CKD patients were classified as stage 1 with normal or elevated eGFR; 52 (81.3%) were on conservative treatment, while 12 (18.7%) were receiving haemodialysis. There was a statistically significant difference in the median (IQR) HRQoL scores reported by children and their parents/caregivers. The children's reports were 70.65 (52.72–83.42), whereas parent/caregiver reports were 65.76 (46.74-80.43). Health-related quality of life was significantly associated with parental/caregiver education, disease aetiology, CKD stage, and treatment modality (p<0.05). CKD patients on haemodialysis had significantly lower health-related quality of life compared to those on conservative treatment, with the differences being statistically significant (p<0.001).

Conclusion: Children with terminal stages of CKD and those receiving haemodialysis had lower HRQoL. Therefore, clinicians should identify and monitor high-risk groups for early psychosocial intervention and comprehensive multidisciplinary care.