Correlations between injury- and child-related factors and participation and quality of life after childhood traumatic brain injury

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine correlations between injury- and child-factors and participation and quality of life (QoL) after childhood traumatic brain injury (TBI). Method: Cross-sectional data was analysed on 59 children with TBI included in a larger survey study. These children experienced their TBI at 12.2 years old and were 2.1 years post-injury, on average. Results: On average, children's executive functioning, family functioning, and psychosocial QoL were within typical limits based on parent-reported standardized measures, yet participation was within the limited/somewhat limited range and physical QoL below the average for the U.S. population. Bivariate analyses revealed significant correlations between age at injury, executive functioning summary and subscale scores, and family functioning with participation and psychosocial QoL. Conclusions: The results of this study support the understanding of risk and protective factors and the interaction amongst these factors for children with TBI. These findings highlight the need for professionals to monitor and provide direct and indirect interventions, as needed, for all components of the ICF framework for children with TBI and their families.