Predictors of health-related quality of life in children and adolescents with juvenile idiopathic arthritis: Results from a web-based survey

Objective Children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) experience functional impairment due to joint manifestations of the disease. The aim of our present study was to assess health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and its predictors in a group of children and adolescents with JIA. Methods The study sample includes all JIA patients (ages 6–18 years) who consulted a pediatric rheumatologist in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, between February 2009 and March 2010. HRQOL was measured using the Paediatric Quality of Life Inventory 4.0 (ages 6–18 years). Functional ability was measured using the Childhood Health Assessment Questionnaire, and medical and sociodemographic parameters were assessed. The study sample was compared to a Dutch youth norm population including children with other chronic health conditions. The proportion of children with JIA with an impaired HRQOL (