HOW THAI FAMILIES DEFINE AND MANAGE CHILDHOOD HEART DISEASE (HEART DISEASE).
Contributors: University Of Illinois At Chicago, Health Sciences Center.
Published: 1993
Number of pages: 270
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.; Sociology, Individual and Family Studies.
Description: A qualitative approach based on naturalistic inquiry was used as a study design to explore and describe the care experience in childhood heart disease from the perspectives of Thai parents and their school-age children. Intensive interviews were conducted with 20 fathers, 20 mothers, and 20 school-age children with congenital heart disease using semi-structured interview guides, one for parents and one for the affected children. All interviews were tape recorded. The interview data were analyzed using inductive data analysis technique to discover topical categories and themes.

Analysis of the interview data revealed that Thai parents defined childhood heart disease as a life-threatening illness since they believed that the child's heart might stop functioning suddenly and unexpectedly. Thai parents spoke most often about lack of information regarding the disease and its treatment. Most parents wondered if they had managed the child's illness appropriately. Over half of Thai parents in this study provided special care to their affected children. The child's current symptoms, treatment, restrictions, and limitations made it impossible for parents to deal with the affected child normally. Most Thai parents in this study received emotional support, child's care support, and financial support from their extended family members, relatives, friends, and neighbors. Buddhist beliefs also assisted these parents to accept the child's illness since they thought that the disease happened because of fate and it was beyond their control. The majority of study parents believed that the school system did not encourage the affected child to study hard enough since they underestimated the child's ability. Finally, many parents reported that health care professionals did not provide sufficient information to help them define and manage their child's illness.

Similar to their parents, children in this study define heart disease as a life-threatening illness. Many children were uncertain about their future and feared that the disease might be incurable. Most children viewed themselves as unhealthy and different from their peers since they could not participate in normal activities as a healthy child could. Most children reported that their teachers took part in their illness care. Most children did not like staying in the hospital since they were afraid of the hospital environment and feared painful procedures.

Implications for clinical practice include careful assessment of how parents and affected children define and manage the disease, and assistance to them in establishing their definition and management behaviors in ways that are functional to them. Every effort should be made to provide sufficient information about the illness in order to reduce parents' feeling of uncertainty. Children also need information to reduce their fears. Efforts should be made to minimize the child's feeling of differentness.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 54-04, Section: B, page: 1892.

Thesis (PH.D.)--UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT CHICAGO, HEALTH SCIENCES CENTER, 1993.

School code: 0806.