Clinician modifiable factors associated with better quality of life in children with acquired brain injury undergoing rehabilitation

ABSTRACT

Objectives: To identify clinician-modifiable factors related to quality of life (QOL) in children with acquired brain injury (ABI).

Participants and methods: Thirty-nine children attending an ABI rehabilitation program (5–18 years) were assessed using the Personality Inventory for Children-2, Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale-2, Handicap-Related Problems for Parents Inventory and Children’s Assessment of Participation and Enjoyment. The Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory was completed by children and parents six months later.

Results: Children with lower levels of internalising and externalising behaviours, health and social skill problems, and higher family functioning had significantly higher levels of total QOL (child and parent rated) (r = −.47 to −.79). In addition, children with higher levels of adaptive behaviour had significantly higher parent rated total QOL (r = .46). Measures of mother’s stressors had moderate but not statistically significant relationships with the child’s total QOL (r = −.31 to −.35). There were moderate and statistically significant relationships between measures of participation in physical activities and total QOL as rated by children (r = .42–.48) but not parents (r = .11–.30).

Conclusions: These findings suggest potential targets to be investigated in future clinical research in rehabilitation following ABI in children to optimise QOL.

KEYWORDS:

• Participation
• outcome
• internalising behaviour
• externalising behaviour
• social skill
• activities of daily living

Declaration of interest

The authors have no conflicts of interests to declare.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Channel 7 Children’s Research Foundation.