Measuring Health-Related Quality of Life in Young People
Author Information
Author(s): Jörngården Anna, Wettergren Lena, von Essen Louise
Primary Institution: Uppsala University
Hypothesis
The study aims to provide normative data for the SF-36 and HADS for Swedish adolescents and young adults while investigating the influence of age, gender, and method of administration.
Conclusion
The study highlights the importance of considering age, gender, and method of administration when assessing health-related quality of life in adolescents and young adults.
Supporting Evidence
- Males reported better health-related quality of life than females.
- Younger adolescents (13-15 years) reported better HRQL than older age groups.
- Older participants reported higher scores in telephone interviews compared to postal questionnaires.
Takeaway
This study looked at how young people feel about their health and found that boys generally feel better than girls, and younger teens feel better than older ones.
Methodology
The study randomly selected 585 participants aged 13-23 from the general population, stratified by age and gender, and used both telephone interviews and postal questionnaires to collect data on the SF-36 and HADS.
Potential Biases
The higher response rate among females may have influenced the overall results, as females generally report worse health-related quality of life.
Limitations
The study may not account for regional differences within the selected geographical areas, and there was a difference in response rates between genders.
Participant Demographics
Participants were aged 13-23, with an equal number of males and females, and included individuals from three public healthcare regions in Sweden.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.05
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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