Treatment burden, adherence, and quality of life in children with daily GH treatment in France

Objective

The objective of this study was to describe in a real-life setting the treatment burden and adherence and quality of life (QOL) of children treated with daily injections of growth hormone and their relationship with treatment duration.

Design

This non-interventional, multicenter, cross-sectional French study involved children aged 3–17 years treated with daily growth hormone injections.

Methods

Based on a recent validated dyad questionnaire, the mean overall life interference total score (100 = most interference) was described, with treatment adherence and QOL, using the Quality of Life of Short Stature Youth questionnaire (100 = best). All analyses were performed according to treatment duration prior to inclusion.

Results

Among the 275/277 analyzed children, 166 (60.4%) had only growth hormone deficiency (GHD). In the GHD group, the mean age was 11.7 ± 3.2 years; median treatment duration was 3.3 years (interquartile range 1.8–6.4). The mean overall life interference total score was 27.7 ± 20.7 (95% CI (24.2; 31.2)), with non-significant correlation with treatment duration (P = 0.1925). Treatment adherence was good (95.0% of children reported receiving >80% of planned injections over the last month); it slightly decreased with treatment duration (P = 0.0364). Children’s overall QOL was good (81.5 ± 16.6 and 77.6 ± 18.7 according to children and parents, respectively), but subscores of the coping and treatment impact domains were <50. Similar results were observed in all patients independently of the condition requiring treatment.

Conclusions

This real-life French cohort confirms the treatment burden of daily growth hormone injections, as previously reported in an interventional study.