Twenty-three items across physical, emotional, social and school functioning, in versions for different ages and for parents. The PedsQL is one of the most widely used paediatric quality of life measures, scored 0 to 100.
Free sandbox · No credit card · 21 CFR Part 11 aligned
Child self-report total
76
Parent proxy total
69
Reporter recorded
Mother
At a glance
In trials
Children and their parents often see things differently, particularly for emotional and social functioning. The PedsQL is designed to collect both: the child's own report where they are old enough, and the parent's report for all ages. Record which version each participant completed, who completed the parent version, and treat the two as separate outcomes with one pre-specified as primary.
Scheduling matters too. Children in trials are often at school during clinic hours, and parents are juggling appointments. Completion at home on a phone, with reminders at a sensible time, keeps compliance up. See the parent proxy ePRO template for how proxy reporting works in practice.
The standard version asks about the past month; an acute version asks about the past seven days. Use the acute version when assessments are frequent or the condition changes quickly.
PedsQL · Parent report (ages 8 to 12)
Past month · approved licensed version
Physical functioning
Item 1
PQLPF1Versions
| Age | Child self-report | Parent proxy report |
|---|---|---|
| 2 to 4 (toddler) | Not available | Yes (21 items; school section adapted) |
| 5 to 7 (young child) | Yes, simplified 3-point face scale | Yes |
| 8 to 12 (child) | Yes | Yes |
| 13 to 18 (teen) | Yes | Yes |
Scores: 0 = 100, 1 = 75, 2 = 50, 3 = 25, 4 = 0; scale scores are the mean of the items answered. Follow the official scoring guidance supplied under licence.
In Capture
Build each age version as its own form and record which version and reporter applies at each visit. Parents and older children complete their questionnaires on their own devices. Each form records the licence number, holder and expiry, and raw item values export with labels for scoring.
Copyright & licence
Approval pendingLicence number
Not recorded
Expiry date
Not recorded
Watermark shown to staff only. Participants never see it.
Build age-specific forms in the free sandbox.
Long studies
In a trial lasting a year or more, some children will cross an age boundary, from 7 to 8 or from 12 to 13. Decide in advance whether they switch to the next version at that point or stay on the baseline version for the whole study. Switching keeps the questions age-appropriate; staying keeps the scores directly comparable. Either way, write the rule into the protocol and record which version was used at each visit.
The same decision applies to who reports: a child who becomes old enough to self-report may start completing their own version alongside the parent report.
Before go-live
Through the Mapi Research Trust; details on each form.
Age groups, self-report and parent proxy.
Child or parent, pre-specified.
Switch or stay when a child crosses an age boundary.
Standard (month) or acute (seven days).
Added if one exists for the indication.
Disease-specific modules for conditions such as asthma, diabetes and cancer, used alongside the Generic Core Scales.
The Generic Core Scales usually take about 4 to 5 minutes.
The Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory, a family of questionnaires measuring health-related quality of life in children and adolescents.
Items answered 0 to 4 are reverse scored and transformed to 0 to 100. Scale scores are the mean of items answered; higher scores mean better quality of life.
Self-report versions start at age 5. Parent proxy versions are available from age 2.
It is copyrighted and licensed through the Mapi Research Trust. Terms depend on the type of study.
No. Analyse them as separate outcomes, with one pre-specified as primary.
Raw item values are stored with labels, and scores are derived in analysis.
Child and parent versions in one study. Free sandbox.