Recruiting

Understanding How Steroids Affect Children With Rheumatic Diseases

Plain-English translation of NCT07350395 on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗ · Source last updated January 2026 ·

What is this trial?

Glucocorticoids (steroids) are powerful medications that help control inflammation and pain in children and young people with rheumatic diseases like lupus and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. However, steroids can cause side effects like weight gain, mood changes, delayed puberty, and weak bones. This study wants to hear directly from patients and families about how these side effects impact everyday life, so researchers can create a questionnaire that truly captures what matters to young people taking this medication.

Right now, doctors don't have a good tool specifically designed to measure how steroids affect the quality of life of children and teens with rheumatic diseases. By listening to real patient experiences, researchers can build a questionnaire that helps doctors understand and manage the medication's full impact—both good and bad.

Do you qualify?

You likely qualify if…

you are between 0 and 18 years old with a rheumatic disease, or you are a parent or legal guardian of a child in this age group
you (or your child) have taken steroids by mouth or IV infusion within the last two years as part of treatment for an autoimmune or inflammatory condition
you understand and speak English well enough to read forms and participate in a discussion or interview
you have the mental capacity to give your own informed agreement (or your parents can give consent on your behalf if you are young)

You likely don't qualify if…

you are over 18 years old
you have never taken steroids or stopped taking them more than two years ago
you do not understand or speak English well enough to participate
you lack the mental capacity to understand and agree to participate
you are not a parent or legal guardian (if you are a family member participating on behalf of a child)

What participation looks like

You will be invited to join a small group discussion (focus group) with other children, teens, or parents your age, where you'll talk about your experiences taking steroids—what side effects you've noticed and how they affect school, friendships, and daily activities. Some participants will also take part in a one-on-one interview where researchers ask follow-up questions to make sure their new questionnaire is clear and makes sense. The whole process helps researchers understand what questions matter most to young people like you.

Understanding How Steroids Affect Children With Rheumatic Diseases

What is this trial?

Do you qualify?

What participation looks like

Trial locations(3 sites)