Quality of Life in Families with Children with Atopic Dermatitis

Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common childhood disease of increasing prevalence that not only changes the life of the affected children, but also affects the social and emotional functioning of their families. Objectives: The aim of our study was to assess the quality of life (QOL) of parents with children with AD and its predictors. Methods: One hundred seventy-one parents of children with AD attending the outpatient Pediatric Dermatology Unit, Children's Hospital Zagreb, participated in the study. The severity of AD was estimated using the Scoring Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD) index. Parents were asked to complete the Croatian version of the Family Dermatology Life Quality Index (FDLQI), the Patient-Oriented (PO) SCORAD, the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and a general questionnaire during a regular follow-up visit. Results: Family QOL is significantly correlated with the SCORAD score (correlation coefficient [r] = 0.578), PO SCORAD (r = 0.447), itching (r = 0.528), sleeplessness (r = 0.583), and PSS (r = 0.464). When these factors were entered into a regression analysis, they predicted as much as 67% of the variance of QOL (FDLQI), with significant predictors being PO SCORAD, PO sleeplessness, and PSS, and they remained significant even after controlling for a number of general and medical factors. Conclusions: The severity of illness as perceived by dermatologists and parents is similar, and itching, sleeplessness, and perceived stress are strong QOL predictors of parents caring for children with AD.