FAMILY ADAPTATION TO CHILDHOOD CHRONIC ILLNESS: FAMILY COPING STYLE, FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS, AND FAMILY COPING STATUS--IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING.
Contributors: University of Texas at Austin.
Published: 1989
Number of pages: 292
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.; Health Sciences, Human Development.
Description: A lack of research with the family as the unit of analysis is evident in the literature of family psychology (L'Abate, 1985), behavioral medicine (Gochman, 1985), and nursing (Hanson, 1987). Although there is a large body of literature about chronic illness, few studies about the effects of chronic illness on families with chronically ill children and young adults have been documented (Lubkin, 1986).

The purpose of this descriptive correlational study was to use the family as the unit of analysis in exploring family system characteristics, family coping style, and family relationships in families who are adapting to the care of a child with a chronic illness, Cystic Fibrosis. The conceptual model of crisis of physical illness proposed by Moos and Tsu (1977, 1984) and concepts derived from theoretical and research literature from family systems theory, family stress and coping theory, and crisis theory provided a theoretical base for this study.

The convenience sample used in this study represented 120 parents from 69 families of 69 children four to twelve years old with Cystic Fibrosis. The relationships among variables were measured by the Jalowiec Coping Scale (1979); the Family Relationships Index (relationship dimension of the Family Environment Scale) (Moos & Moos, 1986); and selected subscales and individual items of the Chronicity Impact and Coping Instrument: Parent Questionnaire (Hymovich, 1984); as well as the Family Information Form (developed by the investigator).

Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson product-moment correlations, hierarchical multiple regression, stepwise multiple regression, and content analysis. The findings suggest that parental self-concerns and perceived spouse concerns were important predictors of family coping status for both mothers and fathers. However, none of the hierarchical regression models proposed by the research questions were statistically significant. This study supports the use of family systems theory and the synthesized model for understanding the process of family adaptation to a child's chronic illness as a useful framework for explaining the family's adaptation to a child's chronic illness. Nursing interventions should focus on improving self-efficacy and sustaining a positive family environment that is supportive of individual family members, family relationships, as well as the family unit.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 50-09, Section: B, page: 3915.

Thesis (PH.D.)--THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN, 1989.

School code: 0227.