Abstract
AIM: Extremely low-birthweight (ELBW) infants face an increased risk of physical, cognitive, and psychosocial challenges affecting health-related quality of life (HRQoL). However, few studies have examined their long-term prognosis in Japan. We aimed to assess the HRQoL of adolescents and young adults born with ELBW and identified associated factors. METHODS: A multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted in Japan between January and March 2019. Adolescents and young adults born with ELBW completed the Japanese version of the Short Form Health Survey-8 and provided sociodemographic and health-related data. RESULTS: Among 289 eligible participants, 169 (58.5%) returned the HRQoL questionnaire (129 self-respondents and 40 proxy respondents). Proxy respondents had lower birth weights and higher rates of motor and neurodevelopmental impairment. Among self-respondents, moderate-to-severe attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) was associated with low physical (β = -0.36, 95% CI -0.54 to -0.18, p < 0.001) and mental (β = -0.29, 95% CI -0.48 to -0.10, p = 0.003) component summary scores, while motor impairment was associated with decreased physical component summary score (β = -0.23, 95% CI -0.40 to -0.05, p = 0.012). CONCLUSIONS: ADHD and motor impairment are associated with low HRQoL. Long-term evaluations and tailored support strategies are essential for this population.