Parent-Child Discrepancies in Children with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome-Like Symptomatology

Authors

Carly S. Holtzman, DePaul UniversityFollow
Pamela A. FoxFollow
Leonard A. Jason, DePaul UniversityFollow

Faculty Advisor

Leonard Jason

Abstract

In a sample of children and adolescents with symptoms related to chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), we characterized the relationship between parent and child ratings of symptoms as well as domains of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) relevant for the assessment of substantial reductions in functioning. Parent-child dyads (N = 147) were recruited as part of a community-based epidemiological study of myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) and CFS in Chicago. Parents and children completed the Children’s Health Questionnaire (CHQ) as well as the DePaul Pediatric Health Questionnaire (DPHQ). Results show that inter-rater reliability between parent and child responses was typically strong, however, in most domains, parents of children with CFS-like symptoms rate their child’s symptoms and HRQOL as more frequent and/or severe than the children themselves. Recommendations are provided for use of parent proxy and child self-report in diagnosis and implementation of case definitions.

Recommended Citation

Holtzman, Carly S.; Fox, Pamela A.; and Jason, Leonard A. (2018) "Parent-Child Discrepancies in Children with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome-Like Symptomatology," DePaul Discoveries: Volume 7, Article 4.
Available at: https://via.library.depaul.edu/depaul-disc/vol7/iss1/4