Abstract

Background: Although quality of life has been incorporated as a comprehensive indicator of health status, there are no standards available. Objective: To report values that can be used as standards in clinical and public health areas. Methods: 1 678 children and adolescents (8 to 18 years old) were evaluated. They came from public, semiprivate and private schools in the city of Antofagasta (North of Chile) utilizing KIDSCREEN-27 questionnaire. Results: The study shows mean and decile values for each of the five domains assessed (physical wellbeing, psychological wellbeing, relationship with parents and autonomy, social support and peers, school environment) for gender, age range and type of school. Conclusion: Values were presented which can be used as standards for Chilean children and adolescents in the specified domains. In general, best quality of life was found among boys, younger age children, and those from private schools. These findings are similar to those reported in studies in Spain, utilizing the same instrument.