Age and severity in relation to the quality of life among children with hemophilia: A cross-sectional study

Background: Hemophilia is a hereditary bleeding disorder characterized by a deficiency in clotting factors. This disease has a long-term impact on the physical, psychological, and social conditions of children, affecting their quality of life. Methods: cross-sectional study conducted at Ulin General Hospital, Banjarmasin from January to March 2025. The study sample consisted of 52 children with hemophilia recruited using consecutive sampling. Quality of life was measured using the Haemo-QoL questionnaire and analyzed using the Kruskal–Wallis test and Spearman's correlation. Results: mean age of the subjects was 10.23±2.70 years, with the highest proportion suffering from hemophilia A (71.16%) and moderate severity (44.23%). There were significant differences in quality of life scores between age groups in the domains of family, others, and therapy (p < 0.05). Based on severity, significant differences were found in the domains of self-perception, perceived support, and therapy (p < 0.05). Correlation tests showed no significant relationship between age and quality of life (r = –0.135; p = 0.340), while severity was positively and significantly related to quality of life (r = 0.342; p = 0.013). Conclusion: disease severity is one of the factors that affect the quality of life in children with hemophilia.