The Quality of Life of Children with Precocious Puberty and Healthy Children in Turkey

Abstract

Objectives: We compared the quality of life (QoL) in children with precocious puberty (PP) and healthy children aged 8-12 years. Methods: This descriptive and comparative study was conducted with 105 children with a diagnosis of PP and another 105 healthy children. We collected data using a Descriptive Information Form and the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL). Results: The mean overall PedsQL score (OS) was 78.71 +/- 10.84 for children with PP and 82.43 +/- 9.81 for healthy children (p < .05). The mean PedsQL Proxy-Report OS was 74.51 +/- 13.27 for children with PP and 81.90 +/- 9.86 for healthy children (p < .001). Conclusions: We found QoL of children with PP was lower than that of healthy children. In this context, pediatric nurses may have a role in early identification of children with PP and provide psychosocial support using a multidisciplinary approach to counseling.