Quality of life in short stature: comparisons between normal variants short-statured and normal-statured children and adolescents and agreement with their parents

This study aimed to evaluate quality of life in children and adolescents with normal variants of short stature compared to age- and sex-matched individuals with normal stature and to assess the agreement between children/adolescents reportedand parent-reported outcomes. Methods: A total of 65 child–parent dyads were enrolled, including 29 children and adolescents with short stature (15 males, 14 females; mean age: 11.2 +/- 2.0 years; mean height standard deviation score, HSDS: −2.10 +/- 0.57) and 36 children and adolescents with normal stature (19 males, 17 females; mean age: 11.3 +/- 1.93 years; mean HSDS: 0.56 +/- 0.78). Quality of life was assessed using the Quality of Life in Short Stature Youth (QoLISSY) questionnaire. Statistical analyses included independent samples t-tests, and effect sizes were computed using Cohen’s d. Results: Among short-statured children and adolescents, no significant correlations were found between HSDS and all domains of quality of life. Short-statured children and adolescents exhibited significantly lower QoL across all domains compared to their normal-statured peers. Coping was higher in children and adolescents with short stature compared to their peers of normal stature. Similarly, parents of short-statured children and adolescents perceived a lower QoL for their sons and daughters and reported greater concern about thefuture and a more perceived personal impact than parents of normal-statured children and adolescents. No statistically significant differences were found between sons/daughters and parent reports, indicating a relatively high level of agreement in quality of life (QoL) perceptions. Conclusions: These findings underscore the psychosocial impact of short stature and highlight the importance of incorporating both child and parent perspectives in the clinical assessment. These data cannot be made publicly available as they include sensitive information, but they can be made available upon reasonable request of interested researchers to the corresponding author, who will forward a data transfer agreement request to the relevant Ethical Committee. Requests can be addressed to Dr. Alessandro Sartorio ([email protected]).