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The proxy problem: child report versus parent report in health-related quality of life research

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Abstract

This study evaluates the agreement between child and parent reports on children's health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in a representative sample of 1,105 Dutch children (age 8–11 years old). Both children and their parents completed a 56 item questionnaire (TACQOL). The questionnaire contains seven eight-item scales: physical complaints, motor functioning, autonomy, cognitive functioning, social functioning, positive emotions and negative emotions. The Pearson correlations between the child and parent reports were between 0.44 and 0.61 (p<0.001). The intraclass correlations were between 0.39 and 0.62. On average, the children reported a significantly lower HRQoL than their parents on the physical complaints, motor functioning, autonomy, cognitive functioning and positive emotions scales (paired t-test: p<0.05). Agreement on all of the scales was related to the magnitude of the HRQoL scores and to some background variables (gender, age, temporary illness and visiting a physician). According to multitrait-multimethod analyses, both the child and parent reports proved to be valid.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands

    N. C. M. Theunissen*

  2. TNO Prevention and Healthc[Leiden, The Netherlands

    T. G. C. Vogels, G. H. W. Verrips & S. P. Verloove-Vanhorick

  3. Department of Pediatrics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands

    H. M. Koopman, K. A. H. Zwinderman & J. M. Wit

Authors
  1. N. C. M. Theunissen*
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  2. T. G. C. Vogels
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  3. H. M. Koopman
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  4. G. H. W. Verrips
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  5. K. A. H. Zwinderman
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  6. S. P. Verloove-Vanhorick
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  7. J. M. Wit
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Theunissen*, N.C.M., Vogels, T.G.C., Koopman, H.M. et al. The proxy problem: child report versus parent report in health-related quality of life research. Qual Life Res 7, 387–397 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1008801802877

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1008801802877

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