Features of the quality of life in children with chronic gastritis and psychological characteristics of the personality of patients

Abstract

Introduction. Studies by foreign authors indicate a decrease in the quality of life in children with chronic abdominal pain within the framework of organic and functional pathology. The aim of the work was to analyze quality of life in children with chronic gastritis, taking into account the psychological characteristics of the patients’ personality. Materials and methods. The study included 84 patients with chronic gastritis. The average age of the patients was 12.10 ± 2.84 years. The quality of life was assessed using the PedsQL™ 4.0 questionnaire, psycho-emotional characteristics — the HADS and Spielberger–Khanin questionnaires. Results. All patients are characterized by a significant decrease in the quality of life in general and for each component of the child’s life functioning studied by the questionnaire. A significant difference was revealed at the level of the integral indicator of quality of life (p = 0.023) and within the framework of role functioning (p = 0.035) depended on the intensity of the pain syndrome. In the presence of nausea, the overall quality of life was lower than in its absence (p = 0.008). Quality of life related to physical functioning was lower in children complaining of periodic vomiting (p = 0.002). A high frequency of subclinical and clinically significant depression was revealed (59.5%). Patients with subclinical and clinical significant depression had statistically significantly lower quality of life indicators in terms of emotional (p = 0.014) and social functioning (p = 0.010). A significant prevalence of personal and situational anxiety in children was revealed. A decrease in the quality of life in children was determined within the framework of the general integral indicator with a high degree of situational anxiety (p = 0.038). Conclusion. The study showed a significant decrease in the quality in life of children with chronic gastritis disease in comparison with healthy children, while the degree of decrease correlated with the presence and severity of depression and both personal and situational anxiety. At present, it is quite difficult to say unambiguously what is primary: the influence of emotional status on the disease and quality of life, or vice versa.