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Adolescent Quality of Life in Australia

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Handbook of Disease Burdens and Quality of Life Measures

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Abstract:

Although the majority of adolescent quality of life (QOL) research has focused on chronic diseases, the QOL measure can be highly useful in providing a broader understanding of the health and well-being of the general adolescent population. Adolescent QOL is a relatively new field so researchers face several challenges. Adolescents are a unique group and the unique dimensions that make up their QOL are only just emerging. Several generic assessments of adolescent QOL are being produced but predominantly in Europe and North America. One particular Australian based longitudinal study has contributed to the understanding of adolescent QOL. Encouragingly, it reported that Australian adolescents, both with and without a chronic disease, describe their QOL positively. It also provided initial validation for adolescent QOL in Australia to comprise of five dimensions, namely, “physical health,” “environment,” “social,” “psychological” and “opportunities for growth and development,” and showed that these dimensions are interdependent. The longitudinal nature of the study also revealed the dynamic nature of QOL and that potentially modifiable variables of adolescent “control” and “opportunities” could have a significant positive impact on QOL. Research would be enhanced by the development of pertinent adolescent QOL measures based on the most recent modification and validation of internationally developed instruments. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and rural or remote adolescents are at particular risk of poor QOL and these groups should be targeted for improvement. It is recommended that QOL research be used for developing policy, health intervention programs, monitoring the QOL status of the general adolescent population and identifying those at risk of low QOL.

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Abbreviations

AIHW:

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare

CFA:

confirmatory factor analysis

CHQ:

child health questionnaire

ComQOL-S:

comprehensive quality of life scale – school version

EFA:

exploratory factor analysis

HRQOL:

health-related quality of life

QOL:

quality of life

QOLPAV:

quality of life profile- adolescent version

SEM:

structural equation modeling

WA:

Western Australia

WHO:

World Health Organization

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Authors
  1. A. H. Lee
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  2. L. B. Meuleners
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  3. M. L. Fraser
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. Nutrition and Dietetics Nutritional Sciences Research Division School of Biomedical & Health Sciences, King's College London, Franklin‐Wilkins Building 150 Stamford Street, SE1 9NH, London, UK

    Victor R. Preedy (Prof.) (Prof.)

  2. Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona, Health Science Center 1295 N. Martin, P.O. Box 245155, 85724-5155, Tucson, AZ

    Ronald R. Watson (Prof.) (Prof.)

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Lee, A.H., Meuleners, L.B., Fraser, M.L. (2010). Adolescent Quality of Life in Australia. In: Preedy, V.R., Watson, R.R. (eds) Handbook of Disease Burdens and Quality of Life Measures. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-78665-0_148

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-78665-0_148

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-0-387-78664-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-0-387-78665-0

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