Objective.-To evaluate Quality of life(QoL)of HIV-infected children under highly active antiretroviral therapies,and its change over 18 months.Material s and methods.-QoL was evaluated by self-administred questionnaires(french v ersions of AUQUEI,OK-ado,and compilation of both)in 23 young living with HIV /AIDS(6-15 yrs),under antiretroviral multitherapies,and re-evaluated 18 mon ths later in 19 of them.Results.-At baseline,QoL in HIV-infected children-adolescents was relatively good.The answers given to each items and the mean sc ore from infected children were similar to those obtained in uninfected healthy children.Moreover,infected adolescents distinguished definitly from healthy ad olescents,describing higher QoL.The mean satisfaction score from the whole gro up decreased between M0 and M18(mainly in the youngests)-,and mainly concerne d 3 fields(self-esteem,health and school)while their somatic health remained stable or improved.An effect of the familial context was also observed for the se 3 fields.Conclusion.-The progressive decline of QoL in HIV-infected child ren,and the surprising high and steady level of satisfaction over-time provide d by the adolescents,underlined the frailty of this population and the need for a psychologic management associated to the medical follow-up.Such a multidisc iplinary approach should take into account the preoccupations and difficulties o f each age-class,those linked to the diagnosis itself,and to the familial or scolar contexts,in order to preserve QoL of this pediatric population,as far a s possible,in a long term.
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