Assessing adolescent's health in school medicine: quality of life as a complement to clinical indicators

Current medical practices of school health for adolescents are more based on the screening of specific physical problems than on psychosocial and subjective aspects of their health. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed at evaluating the usefulness of a quality of life (QoL) questionnaire during the consultations. POPULATION AND METHODS: Ninety-five adolescents (mean age: 16.9 years) present for the obligatory medical check-up in a health center in Brussels, were involved in the study. Data of the medical records were analysed and two questionnaires were administrated, one exploring the quality of life (VSP-A), the other the presence of depressive symptoms (CES-D). RESULTS: These adolescents were in good physical health and had a mean score of global quality of life of 62 (DS =11.2); 17% of the adolescents had significant depressive symptoms (score > or =24). There was a significant negative correlation between the scores of QoL and depression (R =-0.680, P <0.01), the QoL psychological dimension and depression (R =-0.656, P <0.01), the QoL energy-vitality dimension and depression (R= -0.763, P