Self-report form of the Child Health Questionnaire in a Dutch adolescent population

The Child Health Questionnaire (CHQ)-87-item child and adolescent self-report (CF87) is an increasingly used health-related quality-of-life instrument for measuring the self-perceived physical and psychosocial well-being of children aged 10 years and older. The aims of this study were to evaluate structure, reliability and validity of the Dutch...

A systematic review of the relation between physical capacity and future low back and neck/shoulder pain

The results of longitudinal studies reporting on the relation between physical capacity and the risk of musculoskeletal disorders have never been reviewed in a systematic way. The objective of the present systematic review is to investigate if there is evidence that low muscle strength, low muscle endurance, or reduced spinal mobility are...

Physical capacity in relation to low back, neck, or shoulder pain in a working population

Aims: To investigate the longitudinal relation between physical capacity (isokinetic lifting strength, static endurance of the back, neck, and shoulder muscles, and mobility of the spine) and low back, neck, and shoulder pain. Methods: In this prospective cohort study, 1789 Dutch workers participated. At baseline, isokinetic lifting strength,...

Is an imbalance between physical capacity and exposure to work-related physical factors associated with low-back, neck or shoulder pain?

Objectives: This study investigates whether an imbalance between physical capacity and exposure to work-related physical factors is associated with low-back, neck, or shoulder pain. Methods: Data of the longitudinal study on musculoskeletal disorders, absenteeism, stress, and health (SMASH), with a follow-up of 3 years (N=1789), were used. At...

The development and validation of a handicap questionnaire for children with a chronic illness

Introduction: This paper describes the development and initial psychometric evaluation of the Handicap Scale for Children (HSC). This questionnaire is based on the London Handicap Scale (LHS), a valid and reliable utility instrument for measuring social participation in adults. Methods: A multidisciplinary research group was involved in...

Arbeidsparticipatie en werkgerelateerde handicaps bij jongvolwassenen met een aangeboren hartafwijking [Employment and work-related handicaps in young adults with congenital heart disease]

Objective. To evaluate employment, career problems and job-related handicaps in adults with complex or mild congenital heart disease (CHD). Design. Cross-sectional. Method. Data were obtained from 76 patients with complex and 80 with mild CHD who were known to the Department of Paediatric Cardiology at the Leiden University Medical Center, the...

Assessment of readiness to change in patients with osteoarthritis. Development and application of a new questionnaire

Objective: To develop a self-report measure for assessment of the stage of change in patients with osteoarthritis, in order to identify patients who would benefit from a self-management programme. Methods: According to the 'stages of change' model a questionnaire was developed with three groups of items corresponding to the precontemplation...

Measuring health-related quality of life in children: Difficulties and challenges

Is avoidant coping independent of disease status and stable over time in patients with ankylosing spondylitis?

Objective: To determine whether avoidant coping in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is independent of disease status and whether it is stable over time. Methods: 658 patients with AS completed a postal questionnaire on health status, including pain and stiffness (BASDAI), physical function (BASFI), and coping (CORS). In CORS, "decreasing activities...

Use of HRQOL questionnaires to facilitate patient-physician communication

Health-related quality of life in relation to gender and age in couples planning IVF treatment

Background: Specific subgroups of people planning IVF might be at risk of having more psychological or health-related problems. Identification of subgroups at risk may better enable allocation of appropriate counselling. Methods: A group of 425 men and 447 women planning to undergo IVF treatment filled out a questionnaire. Four domains of health...

Employment in adults with congenital heart disease

Objective: To evaluate job participation, careerrelated problems, and actual job problems in adults with complex congenital heart disease (CHD) compared with adults with mild CHD and reference groups. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Patients were randomly selected from the archives of the Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Leiden...