Quality of life : differences related to gender, age, socio-economic status and health status, in Portuguese teens

Abstract

The KIDSCREEN is a European cross-cultural and standardized instrument that assesses ten dimensions regarding quality of life in children, adolescents and their parents. The objective of this study is to use the KIDSCREEN-52 in order to assess interpersonal differences during pre adolescence and adolescence in Portugal. The present study focuses only in the children' and adolescents' versions of KIDSCREEN-52. A sample of 3195 children and adolescents from 5th grade (48,8%) and 7th grade (51,2%), mean age 11,8; SD 1,46; 49,2% boys, were inquired. Using ANOVAs, the differences according to gender, age, socio-economic status, migrant status and health conditions were identified. KIDSCREEN-52 questionnaire is a sensitive instrument to estimate the perception of quality of life in children and adolescents. The differences according to gender, age, socio-economic status, migrant status and health conditions, agree with the literature. The relevance of these findings will be discussed within Portuguese reality. (Tânia Gaspar, [et al.])