June 22, 2026
IPOPI Jose Drabwell Research Grant Programme 2024 Awardee Publishes Review of Tools for Assessing Quality of Life in Children
IPOPI is delighted to share that Dr Intan Juliana Abd Hamid, recipient of an IPOPI Jose Drabwell Research Grant Programme 2024 award, has published new research as part of her grant-supported project exploring the mental health trajectories of children and adolescents living with primary immunodeficiencies (PIDs) in Malaysia.
The IPOPI Jose Drabwell Research Grant Programme aims to stimulate innovative, patient-centred research in immunodeficiencies and associated conditions by supporting projects that generate knowledge and deepen understanding of the challenges faced by people living with PIDs. Dr Intan’s project focuses on the psychosocial well-being of children with PIDs and seeks to identify factors that influence recovery, resilience, and persistent mental health difficulties over time.
As part of these research efforts, Dr Intan and colleagues have published a narrative review in the Malaysian Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences examining three widely used instruments for assessing health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in children: the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), the Paediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL), and the Short Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36).
The review highlights the importance of selecting appropriate tools to capture the physical, psychological, emotional, and social dimensions of health that shape the lives of children living with chronic conditions. The authors found that while each instrument offers unique strengths, their suitability varies depending on the clinical or research objectives. The SDQ was identified as particularly useful for evaluating behavioural and emotional functioning, the PedsQL as a comprehensive and developmentally appropriate tool for assessing both physical and psychosocial aspects of quality of life, and the SF-36 as a valuable framework for broader population comparisons.
By helping researchers and healthcare professionals better understand the strengths and limitations of available HRQOL measures, this publication contributes to improving the accuracy of patient outcome assessments and to ensuring that children’s experiences remain at the centre of healthcare and research. IPOPI congratulates Dr Intan and her team on this important achievement and looks forward to following the project’s continued progress.
The IPOPI 2024 Jose Drabwell Research Grant Programme is supported by Grifols.
