Relationship between Quality of Life and Joint Health in Hemophilic Children

  Objective  To investigate the relationship between quality of life(QoL) and joint health in children with hemophilia.

  Methods  We selected 68 cases of boys with hemophilia from 4 to 18 years old who were diagnosed in the hemophilia clinic in Peking Union Medical College Hospital from November 2009 to May 2011. Joint physical structure and function were measured using the Hemophilia Joint Health Score(HJHS) version 2.1 in Chinese, and QoL was measured using the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory Measurement Models(PedsQL)version 4.0 in Chinese. Pearson Correlation analysis was used to determine correlation.

  Results  The score of PedsQL4.0 was 1.84±0.78 in these patients, and the score of HJHS2.1 was 22.82±13.09, with a significantly positive correlation between the two scores(P < 0.05, Pearson coefficients=0.527). The joint swelling, muscle strength around joints, range of motion, crepitus upon motion, joint pain and global gait score in HJHS2.1 were all directly correlated with PedsQL 4.0 total score and its physical function score(all P < 0.05), in which there were stronger correlation in joint range of motion, muscle strength around joints and global gait, with Pearson coefficients of 0.477, 0.465, and 0.377, respectively.

  Conclusions  Bad joint health is correlated with poorer QoL of children with hemophilia. Joint range of motion, muscle strength around the joints, and gait are the major factors affecting QoL.