Correlates of health-related quality of life and the perception of its importance in caregivers of children with autism

• Parental distress significantly contributed to the four HRQOL domains.
• The physical domain was the most important HRQOL domain to caregivers.
• The environmental domain the least important HRQOL domain to caregivers.

This study aims to investigate the correlates of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and perceptions of the importance of each HRQOL domain in caregivers of children with autism. Eighty-two caregivers completed the World Health Organization Quality of Life and Parenting Stress Index Short Form to respectively measure the caregivers’ HRQOL and parenting stress. The Childhood Autism Rating Scale and the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire were used to respectively assess severity of autism and children's behavior problems. Results revealed that severity of autism, behavior problems, and parenting stress individually had low to moderate associations with HRQOL. However, all variables considered together, only parental distress (parent-related stress) significantly contributed to the four HRQOL domains. In addition, the physical domain was the most important HRQOL domain to caregivers, and environmental domain, the least. Knowledge of the correlates of HRQOL and the importance of each HRQOL domain could serve as guides for clinicians to improve the HRQOL of caregivers of children with autism by targeting parental distress and focusing on the HRQOL domains perceived as most important by caregivers.