Aim: This study was designed to investigate the impact of paediatric end-stage renal disease (ESRD) on parents, based on the PedsQL Family Impact Module (FIM), and the relationship to the quality of life (QOL) of paediatric ESRD patients measured by PedsQL 3.0 ESRD module.
Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study using Korean translations of the PedsQL FIM and the PedsQL 3.0 ESRD module. In all, 79 patients were enrolled, including 47 children receiving dialysis and 32 children who underwent renal transplant.
Results: FIM scores, analyzed for every category according to treatment modality, were significantly lower in haemodialysis (HD) than in peritoneal dialysis (PD) or renal transplant patients. Mother's age, duration since diagnosis of ESRD and the existence of comorbidity were variables to have significant effects on FIM scores. The correlation between total FIM and QOL scores of paediatric patients were significant, in both parent-proxy and child-self report.
Conclusions: The PedsQL FIM appears to be a useful tool for the assessment of family impact on children with ESRD. Further prospective studies focused on the QOL of parents and caregivers should be performed with the goal of improving clinical outcomes for paediatric ESRD patients.
Keywords: children; end stage renal disease; family; parents; quality of life.
© 2017 Asian Pacific Society of Nephrology.