Health-Related Quality of Life in Pediatric Acute Recurrent or Chronic Pancreatitis: Association With Biopsychosocial Risk Factors

Abstract

Objectives: Abdominal pain, emergency department visits, and hospitalizations impact lives of children with acute recurrent pancreatitis (ARP) and chronic pancreatitis (CP). Data on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in this population, however, remains limited. We aimed to evaluate HRQOL in children with ARP or CP; and test biopsychosocial risk factors associated with low HRQOL.

Methods: Data were acquired from the INternational Study Group of Pediatric Pancreatitis: In search for a cuRE registry. Baseline demographic and clinical questionnaires, the Child Health Questionnaire (measures HRQOL) and Child Behavior Checklist (measures emotional and behavioral functioning) were completed at enrollment.

Results: The sample included 368 children (54.3% girls, mean age = 12.7years, standard deviation [SD] = 3.3); 65.2% had ARP and 34.8% with CP. Low physical HRQOL (M = 38.5, SD = 16.0) was demonstrated while psychosocial HRQOL (M = 49.5, SD = 10.2) was in the normative range. Multivariate regression analysis revealed that clinical levels of emotional and behavioral problems (B = -10.28, P < 0.001), episodic and constant abdominal pain (B = 04.66, P = 0.03; B = -13.25, P < 0.001) were associated with low physical HRQOL, after accounting for ARP/CP status, age, sex, exocrine, and endocrine disease (F [9, 271] = 8.34, P < 0.001). Borderline and clinical levels of emotional and behavioral problems (B = -10.18, P < 0.001; B = -15.98, P < 0.001), and constant pain (B = -4.46, P < 0.001) were associated with low psychosocial HRQOL (F [9, 271] = 17.18, P < 0.001).

Conclusions: Findings highlight the importance of assessing HRQOL and treating pain and psychosocial problems in this vulnerable group of children.