[Personal, familial and social resources and health-related quality of life in children and adolescents with chronic conditions]. / Personale, familiäre und soziale Schutzfaktoren und gesundheitsbezogene Lebensqualität chronisch kranker Kinder und Jugendlicher.

INTRODUCTION: The present publication describes chronic conditions of children and adolescents (asthma, ADHD, obesity) in relation to personal, familial and social resources and to health-related quality of life (HRQOL). A database of these investigations is the German health interview and examination survey of children and adolescents (KiGGS), which is representative for 0 to 17 year-olds. The above mentioned chronic conditions occur frequently in this age group and are assumed to have an influence on quality of life and to be related to a lower level of protective factors. METHODS: The investigations used the data of 6813 children and adolescents within the age group of 11 to 17 who participated in the KiGGS study. Information about diagnosed chronic conditions was given by the parents within the framework of the computerassisted medical interview (CAPI) and by completing questionnaires. The personal, familial and social protection factors as well as the quality of life were assessed by the questionnaires, filled in by the adolescents themselves. Instruments used were the Social Support Scale, the Family Climate Scale and KINDL-R. RESULTS: Children and adolescents with asthma seem to have no deficits in the health-related quality of life and in the field of protective factors. This differs from the situation of the obese children as well as from the children with ADHD. Both groups show significant deficits in the health-related quality of life and protection factors. DISCUSSION: The chronic conditions investigated show remarkable differences in the scale values for measuring protective factors and health-related quality of life. Possible explanations are: For asthma as a chronic disease with somatic manifestation effective treatments and therapies exist, so that it has nearly no influence on the self-assessed quality of life. ADHD and obesity result in a decrease of quality of life and in the field of protective factors, possibly caused by social stigmatisation, isolation and demotivation of the concerned children and adolescents. Therefore it is important to support those children and adolescents to cope with their disease-related problems. The results illustrate that in addition to the immediate effects of chronic conditions on the concerned children and their families, it is the quality of life and the familial and social environment that should be specifically addressed in further studies.

[The physical examination within the scope of The Child and Adolescent Health Survey]. / Die körperliche Untersuchung im Rahmen des Kinder- und Jugendgesundheitssurveys.

The National Health Survey for Children and Adolescents intends a comprehensive description of the health status of children and adolescents. In this context physical examination of children and adolescents permits collection of objective data concerning physical development, certain body functions and selected performance parameters. Most important are indicators pointing towards increasing developmental and health problems in children and adolescents, which are partly predictive for the health status as an adult. Body measurements including stages of puberty will be taken, the blood pressure measured, vision tests carried out, coordination skills and endurance tested. Besides, if acute symptoms are detected, severity of atopic dermatitis is recorded. The methods and instruments have been tested in a pilot study over a period of one year and were optimised for the main study.

[Questionnaire and interview on physical health within the scope of The Child and Adolescent Health Survey]. / Befragung zur körperlichen Gesundheit im Rahmen des Kinder- und Jugendgesundheitssurveys.

Physical health is an important dimension within even the broadest concept of health. However, comprehensive and representative data on the physical health of children and adolescents in Germany are so far lacking. In the Health Survey for Children and Adolescents information will be collected on various aspects of physical health: pregnancy, birth, child development, self-rated health, physical well-being, acute and chronic disorders, congenital malformations, injuries, symptoms and complaints, disability and pain. It will be possible to analyse various determinants and consequences of physical health of children in Germany since data will also be collected on health risks, nutrition, physical activity, preventive behavior, quality of life, mental health, environmental aspects, socioeconomic and demographic characteristics and use of health services. This paper summarises the items on physical health assessed in the questionnaires and the medical interview, outlines the theoretical background for some methodological issues and reports conclusions from the survey pretest.

[The Child and Adolescent Health Survey as a source of data for assessment of the essential aspects of health care in childhood and adolescence]. / Der Kinder- und Jugendgesundheitssurvey als Datenquelle zur Beschreibung wesentlicher Aspekte der gesundheitlichen Versorgung im Kindes- und Jugendalter.

The German National Health Survey for Children and Adolescents aims at collecting representative data on the health status of the population in the 0 to 18 years age bracket. Examination of about 18.000 participants is planned. In this cross-sectional study relevant data concerning health services will be gathered. These include parameters of health care demands, health insurance, vaccination status and drug utilisation. The data collection will start in the first quarter of 2003 and will probably be terminated in the last quarter of 2005. The study design has been tested in a pilot study for one year and was adapted to the demands of this specific health survey. The instruments used for data collection are a self-administered questionnaire as well as a standardised, computer-based medical interview.

[Monitoring of iodine in The Child and Adolescent Health Survey]. / Jodmonitoring im Rahmen des Kinder- und Jugendgesundheitssurveys.

In the first quarter of 2003 a National Health Survey for Children and Adolescents will be started and carried out over a period of three years. In 11,300 children and adolescents between 6 and 18 years a comprehensive iodine monitoring will be realised. The volume of the thyroid gland will be determined sonographically, thyroid hormones and the urinary iodine excretion will be measured. Apart from the nutritional intake of iodine and the use of supplements, socio-demographic and other variables relevant to health will be recorded in a self-administered questionnaire. In the pilot study of the Health Survey for Children and Adolescents from March 2001 to March 2002 the method was tested on 426 children and adolescents and has proved feasible. The sample for the pretest was not representative for the population of children and adolescents in Germany but may already be an indication for the iodine supply. A low goitre prevalence of 4.2% was found. The total thyroid volume correlated significantly with height and weight. There was no significant difference between boys and girls or between a rural and an urban sample point.

[Pilot study of The Child and Adolescent Health Survey: methodological aspects and procedure]. / Der Pretest des Kinder- und Jugendgesundheitssurveys: Methodische Aspekte und Durchführung.

In the pilot study of the National Health Survey for Children and Adolescents which has been conducted under the responsibility of the Robert Koch Institute from March 12th 2001 to March 15th 2002, 1,630 children and adolescents from 0 to 17 years as well as their parents have been included. Methodological issues have been very prominent. Questionnaires regarding properties, indicators (for example for psychic well-being) were developed and evaluated, different methods of access to the study participants as well as methods to increase the motivation to participate in the study were tested, and the property for generalisation or validity of the obtained information was investigated. The conduct of the pilot study resulted in a number of experiences and findings that will contribute to an optimised approach in the main course of the survey.