Health-Related Quality of Life in Children with Developmental Coordination Disorder and Their Parents

Abstract

This study measured health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) and their parents. A convenience sample of 369 children with DCD (144 girls; mean age: 11.2 ± 3.66 years) and 360 children with typical development (146 girls; mean age: 11.4 ± 4.09 years) was enrolled. The Bruininks—Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency-Second Edition was used to classify the DCD group into five levels of motor abilities. The HRQOL of the children was assessed with the Child Health Questionnaire-Parent Form 50, and the HRQOL of the parents was assessed with the 12-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). Although the two groups had comparable physical health, the DCD group had significantly lower HRQOL in all psychosocial domains. The degree to which HRQOL is reduced is related to motor proficiency. Compared to parents of typically developing children, parents of children with DCD had significantly lower HRQOL (p < .05 for both SF-12 and BAI). HRQOL of the parents was unassociated with the motor proficiency of the children. DCD significantly affects multiple HRQOL domains in both the child with DCD and the parents.