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. 1996 Aug;50(4):391–396. doi: 10.1136/jech.50.4.391

Quality of life assessment in children: a review of conceptual and methodological issues in multidimensional health status measures.

D K Pal 1
PMCID: PMC1060307  PMID: 8882220

Abstract

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To clarify concepts and methodological problems in existing multidimensional health status measures for children. DESIGN: Thematic review of instruments found by computerised and manual searches, 1979-95. SUBJECTS: Nine health status instruments. MAIN RESULTS: Many instruments did not satisfy criteria of being child centered or family focussed; few had sufficient psychometric properties for research or clinical use; underlying conceptual assumptions were rarely explicit. CONCLUSIONS: Quality of life measures should be viewed cautiously. Interdisciplinary discussion is required, as well as discussion with children and parents, to establish constructs that are truly useful.

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Selected References

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