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Quality of Life Research
Published in: Quality of Life Research 3/2013

Open Access 01-04-2013

Health-related quality of life of infants from ethnic minority groups: the Generation R Study

Authors: Ilse J. E. Flink, Tinneke M. J. Beirens, Caspar Looman, Jeanne M. Landgraf, Henning Tiemeier, Henriette A. Mol, Vincent W. V. Jaddoe, Albert Hofman, Johan P. Mackenbach, Hein Raat

Published in: Quality of Life Research | Issue 3/2013

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Abstract

Purpose

To assess whether the health-related quality of life of infants from ethnic minority groups differs from the health-related quality of life of native Dutch infants and to evaluate whether infant health and family characteristics explain the potential differences.

Methods

We included 4,506 infants participating in the Generation R Study, a longitudinal birth cohort. When the child was 12 months, parents completed the Infant Toddler Quality of Life Questionnaire (ITQOL); ITQOL scale scores in each ethnic subgroup were compared with scores in the Dutch reference population. Influence of infant health and family characteristics on ITQOL scale scores were evaluated using multivariate regression models.

Results

Infants from ethnic minority groups presented significantly lower ITQOL scale scores compared to the Dutch subgroup (e.g., Temperament and Moods scale: median score of Turkish subgroup, 70.8 (IQR, 15.3); median score of Dutch subgroup, 80.6 (IQR, 13.9; P < 0.001)). Infant health and family characteristics mediated an important part of the association between the ethnic minority status and infant health-related quality of life. However, these factors could not fully explain all the differences in the ITQOL scale scores.

Conclusions

Parent-reported health-related quality of life is lower in infants from ethnic minority groups compared to native Dutch infants, which could partly be explained by infant health and by family characteristics.
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Metadata
Title
Health-related quality of life of infants from ethnic minority groups: the Generation R Study
Authors
Ilse J. E. Flink
Tinneke M. J. Beirens
Caspar Looman
Jeanne M. Landgraf
Henning Tiemeier
Henriette A. Mol
Vincent W. V. Jaddoe
Albert Hofman
Johan P. Mackenbach
Hein Raat
Publication date
01-04-2013
Publisher
Springer Netherlands
Published in
Quality of Life Research / Issue 3/2013
Print ISSN: 0962-9343
Electronic ISSN: 1573-2649
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-012-0184-9

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