The quality of life of children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders and/or prenatal alcohol exposure and the impact of the disability on families and caregivers

• Author / Creator

  Denys, Kennedy A

• There is little research on the quality of life of children prenatally exposed to alcohol or the impact on families and caregivers. Participants (aged 6 - 16) included 39 children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD), 21 with prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE, not qualifying for an FASD diagnosis), and 29 typically developing controls. Children and caregivers completed the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL), measuring the child’s quality of life, and caregivers completed the Generic Lifestyle Assessment Questionnaire (LAQ-G), measuring the impact of childhood disability on the family. Children with FASD and PAE had significantly lower ratings of quality of life and a higher impact on the family than the controls in most areas, but the two groups did not differ significantly from each other. These findings show that both FASD and PAE negatively impact quality of life and have measurable impacts on families and caregivers.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Childhood disability
  • Caregiver stress
  • Quality of life
  • FASD
  • Family impact
  • Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders
  • PAE
  • Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory
  • Caregivers
  • PedsQL
  • Prenatal alcohol exposure
  • LAQ-G
  • FAS
  • Generic Lifestyle Assessment Questionnaire

• Graduation date

  Spring 2013

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Master of Science

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/R33015

• License

  This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Libraries with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.