Finnish schoolchildren's perceived health-related quality of life deteriorates remarkably with age

Background: Information on individuals' functioning and disability is needed for numerous purposes in social and health care. Objective: The purpose of the study was to assess the perceived health-related quality of life of Finnish schoolchildren aged from 7 to 17 years. We were interested to ascertain if changes of health-related quality of life with age could be discovered. Method: The quality of life data (N = 4,776) were collected using Revidierter KINDer Lebensqualitatsfragebogen (KINDL-R). The survey was conducted in several comprehensive schools using tablet computers. The response rate was 95%. The quality of life data are presented as means and standard deviations. The rating scale was 0 to 100 points. Results: The mean of respondents' (N = 4,776) health-related quality of life points was 72.1 (SD 11.0). Family as a factor impacting on the quality of life scored the highest points 78.2 (SD 16.1), while self-esteem got the lowest points 62.5 (SD 17.9). Adolescent girls' school-related quality of life points were 60.2 (SD 15.0) and adolescent boys' points were 61.7 (SD 14.4). Lower graders' and upper graders' quality of life differed very significantly so that the ratings of the lower graders were higher than the ratings of the upper graders. Finnish girls' quality of life as a whole was poorer than that of Finnish boys. The physical and emotional welfare as well as the self-esteem of young Finnish girls were poorer than those of their male peers. Conclusions: The poor well-being of adolescents is recognized and accepted as a development-related phenomenon. Poor health-related quality of life experienced by adolescents may be interpreted as a symptom of a disease. Deterioration in health-related quality of life among adolescents should not be accepted as a development-related factor; that phenomenon should be further investigated and necessary measures taken to improve the quality of adolescent's life.