Abstract:
Problem Statement –Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is one of the most frequent causes of acquired heart disease in children. It exerts negative impact on the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of patients and their parents.
Objective – To assess health related quality of life of children with Rheumatic heart disease at Tikur Anbessa Specialized hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Method – Facility based, cross-sectional study was conducted in the Pediatrics Cardiac Clinic at TASH. The study included 242 children with RHD. Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) tool was used to collect data. SPSS version 25 was used for data entry and analysis. The numerical variable was expressed as the means and standard deviation (SD). Ordinal logistic regression analysis was used to assess the relation between the outcome and predictor variable.
Results – The overall health related quality of life in children with RHD was high, moderate and poor in 40.5%, 45% and 14.5% respectively. Age, number of medications used and number of admissions have statistically significant association with HRQOL. The odds of having a higher HRQOL level decrease by a factor of 0.68 for each year increase in age. With each additional medication used, the likelihood of having a higher HRQOL level increases by approximately 58%. For each additional hospital admission, the likelihood of having a higher HRQOL level increases by a factor of approximately 62%.
Conclusion and Recommendation – HRQOL is affected in majority of children with RHD in Tikur Anbessa specialized hospital. Comprehensive age appropriate health care and support can help improve HRQOL as children grow older. Further research and supportive policies are important for improving wellbeing and long-term health outcomes of children with RHD.