Health-related quality of life of Canadian children and youth prenatally exposed to alcohol
Author Information
Author(s): Brenda C Stade, Bonnie Stevens, Wendy J Ungar, Joseph Beyene, Gideon Koren
Primary Institution: St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Canada
Hypothesis
To measure the health-related quality of life (HRQL) of Canadian children and youth diagnosed with FASD.
Conclusion
Children and youth with FASD have significantly lower HRQL than children and youth from the general Canadian population.
Supporting Evidence
- The mean HRQL score of children and youth with FASD was 0.47 compared to a mean score of 0.93 in the general Canadian population.
- Children demonstrated moderate to severe dysfunction on the attributes of cognition and emotion.
- The study represents the first research on the topic of FASD and provides a major contribution to new knowledge.
Takeaway
Kids who were exposed to alcohol before they were born have a harder time feeling good about their health compared to other kids.
Methodology
A prospective cross-sectional study design was used with 126 children and youth diagnosed with FASD, aged 8 to 21 years, who completed the Health Utilities Index Mark 3 (HUI3).
Potential Biases
Sampling bias is a possibility as not all families of children with FASD join support groups.
Limitations
The study did not draw from a random sample of children, and individuals residing in institutions were not included.
Participant Demographics
Participants included 54% male and 46% female children, with a mean age of 14.5 years, and varied in cognitive levels and ethnicity.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p < 0.001
Confidence Interval
(95% CI: 0.42 to 0.52)
Statistical Significance
p < 0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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