Abstract
Aims: We aimed to evaluate the extent to which HRQoL instruments developed based on the Western notion of health is applicable to Asian children and adolescents by assessing their conceptualization of QoL. A secondary objective is to evaluate the necessity of developing age- or gender-specific HRQoL instruments. Methods: We explored the meaning of general and health-related QoL through focus group discussions in Singapore, a multi-ethnic Asian society. Two investigators independently analysed the data. They extracted major and sub-themes related to both general and health-related QoL. The agreement between the analyses was compared and disagreement was resolved through discussion. Results: Thirty-two subjects (children: 50.0%, female: 50.0%) participated. There were few disagreements. Meanings of general and health-related QoL could be grouped under three broad themes: (1) physical, (2) psychological and (3) social health, consistent with the current definition of HRQoL. We found that Singaporean and Western children/adolescents share a remarkably similar notion of general and health-related QoL. Compared to adolescents, children were more likely to report positive emotions, be less mindful of others’ opinions and had less varied social activities. Conclusion: The results suggest that currently available instruments are potentially useful for Singaporean children/adolescents. We also found that age-specific HRQoL instruments are necessary.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
Abbreviations
- HRQoL:
-
Health-Related Quality-of-Life
References
SK Parsons DK Mayer (2004) ArticleTitleHealth-related quality of life assessment in hematologic disease Hematol Oncol Clin N Am 18 IssueID6 1235–1248 Occurrence Handle10.1016/j.hoc.2004.06.017
EF Juniper (1999) ArticleTitleHealth-related quality of life in asthma Curr Opin Pulm Med 5 IssueID2 105–110 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:DC%2BD3c3ntFelug%3D%3D Occurrence Handle10813260 Occurrence Handle10.1097/00063198-199903000-00005
HI Brunner EH Giannini (2003) ArticleTitleHealth-related quality of life in children with rheumatic diseases Curr Opin Rheumatol 15 IssueID5 602–612 Occurrence Handle12960488 Occurrence Handle10.1097/00002281-200309000-00014
DJ French A Carroll MJ Christie (1998) ArticleTitleHealth-related quality of life in Australian children with asthma: Lessons for the cross-cultural use of quality of life instruments Qual Life Res 7 IssueID5 409–419 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:DyaK1czls1Omsg%3D%3D Occurrence Handle9691721 Occurrence Handle10.1023/A:1008805903785
C Eiser R Morse (2001) ArticleTitleQuality-of-life measures in chronic diseases of childhood Health Tech Assess 5 IssueID4 1–157 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:DC%2BD3M7mtlaktw%3D%3D
DL Morgan (1996) ArticleTitleFocus Group Annu Rev Sociol 22 129–152 Occurrence Handle10.1146/annurev.soc.22.1.129
JA Cramer LE Westbrook O Devinsky K Perrine MB Glassman C Camfield (1999) ArticleTitleDevelopment of the Quality of Life in Epilepsy Inventory for Adolescents: The QOLIE-AD-48 Epilepsia 40 IssueID8 1114–1121 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:DyaK1Mzns1Smtw%3D%3D Occurrence Handle10448825 Occurrence Handle10.1111/j.1528-1157.1999.tb00828.x
NL Young CS Bradley V Blanchette et al. (2004) ArticleTitleDevelopment of a health-related quality of life measure for boys with haemophilia: The Canadian Haemophilia Outcomes – Kids Life Assessment Tool (CHO-KLAT) Haemophilia 10 IssueID1 34–43 Occurrence Handle14987247 Occurrence Handle10.1111/j.1355-0691.2004.00877.x
U Ravens-Sieberer A Gosch T Abel et al. (2001) ArticleTitleEuropean KIDSCREEN Group. Quality of life in children and adolescents: A European public health perspective Soz Praventivmed 46 IssueID5 294–302 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:DC%2BD38%2Fjt12rug%3D%3D Occurrence Handle11759336 Occurrence Handle10.1007/BF01321080
EW Gerharz C Eiser CR Woodhouse (2003) ArticleTitleCurrent approaches to assessing the quality of life in children and adolescents Br J Urol Int 91 IssueID2 150–154 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:DC%2BD3s%2FhtlWisg%3D%3D Occurrence Handle10.1046/j.1464-410X.2003.04001.x
Ikeda D, Morita S, Toyofuku H. Prevention of cold and the harmony of body and mind. In: Humanism and the Art of Medicine – A New Century of Health. Malaysia: Soka Gakkai Malaysia, 1999, pp. 11–21.
KV Ergil (2001) Traditional Chinese medicine MS Micozzi (Eds) Fundamentals of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Churchill Livingstone New York 303–344
U Ravens-Sieberer M Bullinger (1998) ArticleTitleAssessing health-related quality of life in chronically ill children with the German KINDL: First psychometric and content analytical results Qual Life Res 7 IssueID5 399–407 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:DyaK1czls1Onuw%3D%3D Occurrence Handle9691720 Occurrence Handle10.1023/A:1008853819715
AW Riley CB Forrest GW Rebok et al. (2004) ArticleTitleThe Child Report Form of the CHIP – Child Edition: Reliability and validity Med Care 42 IssueID3 221–231 Occurrence Handle15076821 Occurrence Handle10.1097/01.mlr.0000114910.46921.73
B Starfield AW Riley BF Green et al. (1995) ArticleTitleThe adolescent child health and illness profile. A population-based measure of health Med Care 33 IssueID5 553–566 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:DyaK2M3lslKgtg%3D%3D Occurrence Handle7739277 Occurrence Handle10.1097/00005650-199505000-00008
DJ French MJ Christie AJ Sowden (1994) ArticleTitleThe reproducibility of the Childhood Asthma Questionnaires: Measures of quality of life for children with asthma aged 4–16 years Qual Life Res 3 IssueID3 215–224 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:DyaK2M%2FgsVeisA%3D%3D Occurrence Handle7920496 Occurrence Handle10.1007/BF00435387
C Bergin S Talley L Hamer (2003) ArticleTitleProsocial behaviours of young adolescents: A focus group study J Adolesc 26 IssueID1 13–32 Occurrence Handle12550819 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0140-1971(02)00112-4
The European Kidscreen group. Available at http://www.kidscreen.org/ (Accessed on 4th May 2004).
Strauss A, Corbin J, Strategies of Inquiry. Grounded theory methodology: An overview. In: Denzin NK, Lincoln YS (eds.) Handbook of Qualitative Research. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, 1994, pp. 273–285.
World Health Organization. The World Health Report 2000 press release: World Health Organization Assesses the World’s Health Systems. Available at http://www.who.int/whr2001/2001/archives/2000/en/press_release.htm (Accessed on 4th May 2004).
PM Fayers D Machin (2000) Quality of Life: Assessment, Analysis and Interpretation Wiley & Sons Sussex, UK Occurrence Handle10.1002/0470846283
L Rajmil M Herdman MJ Fernandez de Sanmamed et al. (2004) ArticleTitleKidscreen Group. Generic health-related quality of life instruments in children and adolescents: A qualitative analysis of content J Adolesc Health 34 IssueID1 37–45 Occurrence Handle14706404 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S1054-139X(03)00249-0
M Herdman J Fox-Rushby X Badia (1998) ArticleTitleA model of equivalence in the cultural adaptation of HRQoL instruments: The universalist approach Qual Life Res 7 IssueID4 323–335 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:DyaK1c3ntlWgtA%3D%3D Occurrence Handle9610216 Occurrence Handle10.1023/A:1008846618880
LS Matza AR Swensen EM Flood K Secnik NK Leidy (2004) ArticleTitleAssessment of health-related quality of life in children: A review of conceptual, methodological, and regulatory issues Value Health 7 IssueID1 79–92 Occurrence Handle14720133 Occurrence Handle10.1111/j.1524-4733.2004.71273.x
JW. Finkelstein (1998) Methods, models, and measures of health-related quality of life for children and adolescents D Drotar (Eds) Measuring Health-related Quality of Life in Children and Adolescents: Implications for Research and Practice Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Mahwah, NJ 39–52
HL Wee SC Li (2003) ArticleTitleReliability and validity KINDL® children generic health-related quality of life questionnaire in an Asian school-based sample Value Health 6 IssueID3 183
MA Sprangers CE Schwartz (1999) ArticleTitleIntegrating response shift into health-related quality of life research: A theoretical model Soc Sci Med 48 IssueID11 1507–1515 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:DyaK1MzisFynsg%3D%3D Occurrence Handle10400253 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0277-9536(99)00045-3
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Wee, H.L., Chua, H.X. & Li, S.C. Meaning of Health-related Quality of Life among Children and Adolescents in an Asian Country: A Focus Group Approach. Qual Life Res 15, 821–831 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-005-5092-9
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-005-5092-9