IS QUALITY-OF-LIFE MEASURABLE IN CHILDREN

Wavering between the two extremes of serious scientific concept and a fashionable 'catch phrase', quality of life has experienced an unparal leled 'boom' in the health sciences. This development, however, has be en confined largely to the realms of adult medicine. Although children with chronic diseases or congenital disorders seem to be the natural target group for quality of life research and its potential benefits, it was only in the last few years that studies on that subject were pu blished in peer-reviewed journals. While there has been a substantial effort to measure quality of life in pediatric oncology, empirical inv estigations into the psychosocial consequences of urogenital abnormali ties are scarce. Based on an extensive literature search we review the oretical concepts, their methodological implications and currently ava ilable generic and disease-specific instruments in quality of life res earch in children.