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

• Published in: Quality of life research 2013-04, Vol.22 (3), p.653-664
• Main Authors: Flink, Ilse J. E., Beirens, Tinneke M.J., Looman, Caspar, Landgraf, Jeanne M., Tiemeier, Henning, Mol, Henriette A., Jaddoe, Vincent W. V., Hofman, Albert, Mackenbach, Johan P., Raat, Hein
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Babies; Battered child syndrome; Birth weight; Child; Child, Preschool; Children & youth; Childrens health; Country of birth; Creoles; Ethnic Groups - ethnology; Ethnic Groups - psychology; Ethnic Groups - statistics & numerical data; Ethnicity; Families & family life; Family Characteristics; Female; Growth and development; Health Status; Humans; Infant; Infant Welfare; Infants; Male; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Minority & ethnic groups; Minority groups; Minority Groups - psychology; Mothers; Netherlands; Parents; Parents & parenting; Population; Postpartum period; Public Health; Quality of Life; Quality of Life Research; Questionnaires; Socioeconomic Factors; Sociology; Statistical median; Surveys and Questionnaires; Temperament; Toddlers
• ISSN: 0962-9343; 1573-2649
• DOI: 10.1007/s11136-012-0184-9

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.