Higher severity of infant RSV infections is associated with lower parental quality of life – a European observational study

Background: RSV infections in children affect the entire family. Nevertheless, evidence on the overall impact is scarce. This multi-country observational study aims to investigate the association between disease severity and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in affected families and to explore the role of factors related to mental well-being. Methodology: Data were collected during the 2022–2023 RSV season in Germany, France, Italy and Sweden via an online questionnaire from parents of children (24 months) hospitalised for RSV. Parental HRQoL was assessed using the validated caregiver-reported PedsQL Family Impact Module. Exploratory analyses and multivariate linear regression models were performed focusing on potential key determinants. Results: A total set of 138 participants was assembled. Parents of children with a severe RSV infection had on average − 12.1 [95% CI: −21.2 to − 3.03; P = 0.010] lower HRQoL Summary Score than parents of children with low severity index scores. Subsequent stratified analyses revealed a stronger association among parents who had not been offered (adequate) mental health support. Conclusion: Higher RSV disease severity was associated with lower parental HRQoL. These findings highlight the importance of preventing severe RSV infection and the need for further research to identify and evaluate appropriate (psychosocial) support for affected families. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier, NCT05550545. Registered 12 September 2022.