Health-Related quality of life in Russian children with inflammatory bowel disease is comparable across disease types and treatment modalities

Background Pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), may affect health-related quality of life (HRQoL) beyond clinical disease activity alone. Although biologic therapy has improved disease control, its relationship with disease-specific HRQoL, generic HRQoL, and family functioning in real-world cohort of children with IBD remains insufficiently defined. This study aimed to assess HRQoL and family functioning in children with IBD according to treatment modality and disease type. Methods This single-center, cross-sectional study enrolled children aged 8–17 years with confirmed IBD at Sechenov University, between 2024 and 2026. Participants were stratified by treatment modality into those receiving biologic therapy in combination with conventional therapy and those receiving conventional therapy alone, and by disease type into CD and UC groups. Disease-specific HRQoL was assessed using IMPACT-III, generic HRQoL using the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory 4.0 Generic Core Scales (PedsQL), and family functioning using the PedsQL Family Impact Module (PedsQL FIM). Nonparametric methods were used, and correlations were assessed using Spearman's correlation coefficient. Results The cohort comprised 105 children with IBD, including 59 with CD and 46 with UC. Thirty-eight children received biologic therapy in combination with conventional therapy, and 67 received conventional therapy alone. No statistically significant differences were detected between treatment groups in total IMPACT-III, PedsQL, or PedsQL FIM scores. Similarly, HRQoL and family functioning did not differ significantly between children with CD and UC. Across treatment groups, social functioning had the highest scores, whereas emotional functioning was consistently among the lowest-scoring domains. In the PedsQL FIM, family relationships had the highest scores and worry had the lowest scores. Significant positive correlations were identified between IMPACT-III and PedsQL total scores ( ρ = 0.599, p < 0.001), between IMPACT-III and PedsQL FIM total scores ( ρ = 0.291, p = 0.003), and between PedsQL and PedsQL FIM total scores ( ρ = 0.333, p < 0.001). Conclusion In this Russian cohort of children with IBD, HRQoL and family functioning were similar across treatment groups and disease types. Emotional functioning and parental worry remained key challenges, highlighting the importance of routine HRQoL assessment and family-centered support.