Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40968613›Full record

ArticleClinical and experimental pediatrics2025

Effectiveness of Kinder Lebensqualität Fragebogen (KINDL) and Children's Somatic Symptom Inventory-24 (CSSI-24) for measuring postacute sequelae of COVID-19 in children: a diagnostic validation study.

Lawrence Shih-Hsin Wu, Pei-Chi Chen, Xiao-Ling Liu, Shu-Tsen Liu, Chi-Hung Wei, Yu-Lung Hsu, Kai-Sheng Hsieh, Huan-Cheng Lai, Chien-Heng Lin, Chieh-Ho Chen and 6 more

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Article in Clinical and experimental pediatrics, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

16 authors.

Lawrence Shih-Hsin WuInstitute of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
Pei-Chi ChenDepartment of Microbiology & Immunology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
Xiao-Ling LiuResearch Center of Allergy, Immunology and Microbiome (A.I.M), China Medical University Hospital and Children's Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
Shu-Tsen LiuDepartment of Pediatric Psychiatry, China Medical University Children's Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
Chi-Hung WeiDepartment of Teaching and Research, China Medical University Children's Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
Yu-Lung HsuDepartment of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, China Medical University Children's Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
Kai-Sheng HsiehDepartment of Pediatric Cardiology, China Medical University Children's Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
Huan-Cheng LaiDepartment of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, China Medical University Children's Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
Chien-Heng LinDepartment of Pediatric Pulmonology and Critical Care Medicine, China Medical University Children's Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
Chieh-Ho ChenDepartment of Pediatric Pulmonology and Critical Care Medicine, China Medical University Children's Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
An-Chyi ChenDepartment of Pediatric Gastroenterology, China Medical University Children's Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
I-Ching ChouDepartment of Pediatric Neurology, China Medical University Children's Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
Wen-Jue SoongDepartment of Pediatric Pulmonology and Critical Care Medicine, China Medical University Children's Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
Hui-Ju TsaiInstitute of Population Health Sciences, National Health Research Institutes, Zhunan, Taiwan.
Chung-Ying LinInstitute of Allied Health Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
Jiu-Yao WangResearch Center of Allergy, Immunology and Microbiome (A.I.M), China Medical University Hospital and Children's Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.

Funding

Center for Allergy, Immunology, and Microbiome (A.I.M.), China Medical University Hospital 1JA8China Medical University Hospital DMR-113-114China Medical University Hospital DMR-114-024China Medical University Hospital DMR-114-109National Science and Technology Council NSTC 113-2314-B-039-057
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe postacute sequelae of coronavirus disease 2019 (PASC), also known as pediatric long coronavirus disease (COVID), can significantly affect the quality of life (QoL) of affected children. Currently, there are no standardized screening tools to identify high-risk children. The Kinder Lebensqualität fragebogen (KINDL) is a psychometric method for measuring QoL in children. PURPOSE: This study used the KINDL questionnaire and Children's Somatic Symptom Inventory-24 (CSSI-24) to evaluate symptom burden and establish a screening threshold for pediatric PASC.

methodsWe performed a cross-sectional study of children diagnosed with PASC defined as the presence of at least one persistent symptom lasting more than 4 weeks after a confirmed COVID-19 infection. Symptoms were assessed using a structured checklist developed by our team. The correlation between the KINDL and CSSI-24 scores was analyzed, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to determine the optimal KINDL cutoff for identifying high-risk cases. QoL scores were also compared with those of historical cohorts to evaluate the impact of the PASC.

resultsWe included 84 participants: 46 children (mean age, 8.74±1.77 years; 41.3% girls) and 38 adolescents (mean age, 14.50±1.56 years; 44.7% girls). KINDL and CSSI-24 scores showed a significant negative correlation (r=-0.44, P<0.001), suggesting that increased somatic symptoms were associated with a reduced QoL. The ROC analysis identified a KINDL cutoff score of 74.75 (area under the curve, 0.82) for detecting high-risk children. Compared to historical cohorts, children with PASC had QoL scores comparable to child-reported norms from 2010 but lower than parent-reported norms from the same year.

conclusionKINDL and CSSI-24 are practical tools for screening for pediatric PASC in outpatient settings. A KINDL cutoff of 74.75 may help clinicians identify children with PASC who require early intervention. Further studies in larger and more diverse populations are required to validate these findings.

Indexed as

COVID-19Postacute COVID-19 syndromeQuality of lifeROC curveSurveys and questionnaires

Identifiers

PMID40968613
PMCPMC12590057

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.