Association of ethnicity and adaptive functioning with health-related quality of life in pediatric myelomeningocele.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate associations of ethnicity and adaptive function with health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in youths with spina bifida myelomeningocele (SBM).

METHODS: Participants included Hispanic (n = 75) and non-Hispanic White (n = 86) children and adolescents with SBM. Participants completed ratings of adaptive function and SBM-specific HRQOL. A series of linear multiple regression models was computed to investigate whether ethnicity moderates the relation between adaptive function and HRQOL.

RESULTS: Results showed that greater adaptive function was associated with higher HRQOL. While no relations were found between ethnicity and HRQOL, a significant interaction was observed between adaptive function and ethnicity over and above other terms. Although groups did not differ on HRQOL at lower levels of adaptive function, Hispanic participants rated higher HRQOL relative to non-Hispanic White participants at higher levels of adaptive function. Further analysis showed this was true of both nonmotor and motor aspects of adaptive function.

CONCLUSION: Results suggested complex relations between ethnicity and adaptive function with HRQOL, highlighting the importance of optimizing adaptive functioning in youth with SBM.