MEANING OF HEALTH, HEALTH SELF-PERCEPTIONS, HEALTH BEHAVIORS AND HEALTH INDICATORS IN YOUNG SCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN WITH ASTHMA.
Contributors: University of Washington.
Published: 1985
Number of pages: 209
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.
Description: This study examined the meaning of the concept health, health perceptions, health behaviors and health indicators in 9-, 10-, and 11-year-old children with asthma. Findings were based on interview and questionnaire responses of 71 children and their custodial parent(s).

The meaning of health was inferred from statements on how health and nonhealth was determined. Health, for children and parents, was predominantly determined by the presence of positive physical, functional, and affective qualities. The most common quality for children was the ability to be active and do desired activities.

Most children and parents rated perceived child health high and denied comparing the child to others in determining the rating. Children's ratings of usual health appeared less stable than adults'. Parents, but not children, who integrated illness into general descriptions of the child's health, rated perceived child health lower than other parents.

A model to explain child health behavior was tested via path analytic techniques. The model, predicting the child's perception of usual health as the most significant and direct mediator of health behavior, was not supported. Only age and parental perception of child health yielded significant, direct paths to illness management behavior. There were no significant paths when health promotion behavior was used as the dependent variable.

Analysis of bivariate correlations revealed significant relationships between 4 component health indicators and maternal perception of child health, but not between the indicators and child perception of health, illness management or health promotion behaviors.

Findings suggest that for these children and parents, health is principally the presence of positive qualities and based on self-comparison. Stability of perceived overall, usual health in these children was found questionable, and the perception's influence on health behavior unsupported. Findings further suggest that health promotion and illness management behaviors may be differentially motivated both between and within individuals.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 47-01, Section: B, page: 0133.

Thesis (PH.D.)--UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON, 1985.

School code: 0250.