The perception of parents and guardians about the health and quality of life of their adolescent children enrolled in school

Abstract

Introduction. The perception of parents or guardians about their children’s quality of life allows to assess the children’s health, bearing in mind the abilities to fully participate in age-appropriate physical, social and psychosocial functions and activities. Research on quality of life (QL) and children’s quality of life as regards their health is a field that, although recent, has made significant progress in the past years. Various measurement instruments have been developed from a quantitative perspective to assess it, but few studies analyze the perceptions from a qualitative focus. Objective. To recognize the perception of parents and guardians about the health and quality of life of their adolescent children. Methodology. Qualitative study with the focus group technique in which nine parents or caregivers participated. A focus group was created and the interview was recorded and transcribed. Results. Eleven categories that cover the health and quality of life in the stage of adolescents enrolled in school were detected. Dimensions appeared that are not reported by health-related quality of life instruments, such as spirituality and technology. Discussion. In the area of spirituality, studies have demonstrated a strong positive correlation between parents, religiosity and the reduction of risky conducts in their children. Conclusions. Addressing parents or caregivers helped identify other aspects of health and quality of life that can affect their adolescent children. [Jaimes-Valencia ML, Fajardo-Nates S, Argüello JF, Mejía- Arciniegas CN, Rojas-Arenas LC, Gallo-Eugenio LM, León- Santos NR. The perception of parents and guardians about the health and quality of life of their adolescent children enrolled in school. MedUNAB. 2019;21(3):314-333. doi: 10.29375/01237047.2736]