Halenur TEKE, Hilal Tuter MAVI, Selçuk TEKE, Yasin Maruf ERGEN, Birce İzgi AKÇAY, Mehmet Ayhan CONGOLOĞLU, Necati BALAMTEKİN
Türkiye Çocuk Hastalıkları Dergisi - 2026;20(4):283-289
Objective: The aim of this study was to compare health-related quality of life (QoL) and anxiety/depressive symptoms in healthy siblings of children with celiac disease (CD) with age- and gender-similar healthy siblings of children without chronic illness. Materials and Methods: This controlled cross-sectional study, conducted in a pediatric gastroenterology and child psychiatry setting at a tertiary-care hospital, enrolled healthy siblings aged 8-17 years into a CD-sibling group (n=70) and a control group (n=70). Sociodemographic data were collected using a standardized form, QoL was assessed using the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) Generic Core Scales, and psychiatric symptoms were assessed using the Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale (RCADS). Between-group comparisons and Spearman rank correlations were used, and predictors of total anxiety and psychosocial QoL were examined using univariable and multivariable linear regression. Results: Sociodemographic and familial characteristics were largely comparable between groups. Compared with controls, the CD-sibling group had higher total anxiety scores (p=0.007), whereas depressive symptoms were similar between groups (p=0.758). Psychosocial and total QoL were lower in the CD-sibling group (both p<0.001), while physical QoL did not differ between groups (p=0.201). In multivariable models within the CD-sibling group, longer time since diagnosis and maternal psychiatric disorder independently predicted higher anxiety and poorer psychosocial QoL, whereas a greater number of siblings predicted lower anxiety and better psychosocial QoL. Conclusion: Healthy siblings of children with CD experience increased anxiety and reduced psychosocial/total QoL, underscoring the importance of family-centered monitoring that includes sibling well-being and maternal mental health.
