Concordance of Child and Parent Reports of Health-Related Quality of Life in Children With Mild Traumatic Brain or Non-Brain Injuries and in Uninjured Children: Longitudinal Evaluation.

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to determine (a) concordance between parents' and children's perceptions of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) for children who sustained a mild traumatic brain injury or a mild non-brain injury or who were uninjured at baseline and at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months postinjury; (b) test-retest reliability of the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory Generic Core and Cognitive Functioning Scales in the uninjured group; and (c) which, if any, variables predicted parity in child/parent dyad responses.
METHODS: This longitudinal study included 103 child/parent dyads in three groups. Each child and parent completed Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory questionnaires within 24 hours of injury and at months 1, 3, 6, and 12 postinjury.
RESULTS: Child/parent HRQoL concordance was generally poor. The variables for age, gender, and study group were not found to be response-parity predictors. DISCUSSION: Inclusion of child and parent perceptions provides a more comprehensive picture of the child's HRQoL, increasing provider awareness of related health care needs.