Why the study?
What is the psychosocial adjustment and quality of life in adults with childhood-onset growth hormone deficiency treated with growth hormone?
What is the psychosocial adjustment and quality of life in adults with childhood-onset growth hormone deficiency treated with growth hormone?
Adults treated with growth hormone in childhood generally achieve normal socioeconomic status, though those with very short final stature experience psychosocial disadvantages.
Supports socioeconomic parity after childhood GH therapy; leaves open targeted support needs for severe short stature.
The quality of life of adult patients with growth hormone (GH) deficiency, who ceased GH therapy before the age of 20 years, was surveyed. Questionnaires were sent to 1116 patients and their physicians, asking about socioeconomic status and for medical information, respectively. Response rates were 64% and 69%, respectively. The final height of the patients was about -2 SD in 61% of those surveyed. The distributions of occupation and income were similar to those in the general population. Patients with a final adult height below 155 cm (men) and below 140 cm (women) felt disadvantaged in terms of obtaining employment and finding partners. Slight psychological problems in these patients were revealed by the Cornell Medical Index health questionnaire.
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Takano et al. (1994) studied this question.
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