BACKGROUND: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common paediatric neurodevelopmental disorder, with serious impacts on individuals, families and communities. It is associated with cognitive, behavioural, emotional, social and developmental disturbances and impaired academic achievement. AIMS: To describe quality of life (QOL) of parents of ADHD children and family function. To determine the relationship between QOL, family function and sociodemographic characteristics. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study of 125 parents of children with any type of ADHD who were selected by systematic random sampling. The study was conducted between May and December 2015 in the Outpatient Family Medicine Clinic at Suez Canal University Hospital. The World Health Organization Quality of Life-Brief (WHOQOL-BREF) and Adaptability, Participation, Growth, Affection, Resolution (APGAR) questionnaires were used for data collection. RESULTS: Median physical, psychological and social domain scores were 12, and mean environmental domain score was 11.9. The median scores of perception of health and QOL of the parents were 3.0. Most of the families (79.2%) were dysfunctional. Statistically significant relationships were found between all domains and education; physical scores of QOL and gender, employment and income; psychological scores of QOL and residence; environmental scores of QOL and age, income and marital status. Dysfunctional families were likely to be affected by age, gender, physical and psychological domain scores of QOL of parents. CONCLUSIONS: Parents of children with ADHD had average QOL. Most parents had dysfunctional families. Future family intervention studies are recommended.
BACKGROUND: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common paediatric neurodevelopmental disorder, with serious impacts on individuals, families and communities. It is associated with cognitive, behavioural, emotional, social and developmental disturbances and impaired academic achievement. AIMS: To describe quality of life (QOL) of parents of ADHD children and family function. To determine the relationship between QOL, family function and sociodemographic characteristics. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study of 125 parents of children with any type of ADHD who were selected by systematic random sampling. The study was conducted between May and December 2015 in the Outpatient Family Medicine Clinic at Suez Canal University Hospital. The World Health Organization Quality of Life-Brief (WHOQOL-BREF) and Adaptability, Participation, Growth, Affection, Resolution (APGAR) questionnaires were used for data collection. RESULTS: Median physical, psychological and social domain scores were 12, and mean environmental domain score was 11.9. The median scores of perception of health and QOL of the parents were 3.0. Most of the families (79.2%) were dysfunctional. Statistically significant relationships were found between all domains and education; physical scores of QOL and gender, employment and income; psychological scores of QOL and residence; environmental scores of QOL and age, income and marital status. Dysfunctional families were likely to be affected by age, gender, physical and psychological domain scores of QOL of parents. CONCLUSIONS: Parents of children with ADHD had average QOL. Most parents had dysfunctional families. Future family intervention studies are recommended.