Family competence and childhood asthma: A preliminary study.

Abstract

Fourteen family triads with an asthmatic child (ages 8-13) and a similar control group were studied. The process of decision making was used as an indicator of the family relationships. The variables analyzed were spontaneous agreement, time needed to arrive at a decision, satisfaction with the choice, and chaotic responses. The results showed that families with asthmatic children differ in some ways from the control families. These differences include mode of communication, family organization, and presence/ absence of conflicts. We conclude that it is necessary to find within the family the resources and the competence needed in order to maintain the disease within physiological limits and to avoid aggravation of the symptoms.

Preschoolers with Asthma: Narratives of Family Functioning Predict Behavior Problems

“…Important to note is the finding that narratives about general family functioning predicted child behavior problems, but those specific to family response to asthma symptoms did not. This finding was somewhat surprising, since more general aspects of family functioning including problem‐solving (Padur et al, 1995; Wikran, Faleide, & Blakar, 1978), communication, and conflict resolution (Clark et al, 1990; di Blasio et al, 1990; Schoebinger et al, 1992) are important to asthma‐management (Celano, 2006; Fiese & Everhart, 2006; Wilson, Mitchell, Rolnick, & Fish, 1993). However, the current study is the first to examine family perceptions in the context of asthma among preschoolers, a population which has received less attention.…”

“…FAMILY FUNCTIONING, ASTHMA, AND BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS A strong body of evidence supports the relationship between child behavior and family variables (e.g., Aunola & Nurmi, 2005;Galambos, Barker, & Almeida, 2003;Pettit, Laird, Dodge, Bates, & Criss, 2001;Rubin, Hastings, Chen, Stewart, & McNichol, 1998). Many have argued that higher risk for behavior problems in children with asthma may be due to increased emotional and instrumental demands that the disease places on the family (Clark et al, 1990;di Blasio, Molinari, Peri, & Taverna, 1990;Schoebinger, Florin, Zimmer, Lindemann, & Winter, 1992;Kaugars et al, 2004;Padur et al, 1995). Yet few studies of family functioning and behavioral outcomes in children with asthma have focused on the preschool years.…”

Decision‐Making in Children with Asthma and their Parents

“…Medication use tended to decline over time and was positively related to physician's rating of the child's asthma severity. Di Blasio, Molinari, Peri, and Taverna (1990) contrasted decision-making in 14 family triads with one child with asthma to 14 matched control families (no child with asth-ma). Individual and joint family questionnaires, designed to reveal the habitual way families make decisions, were completed.…”

Prévention de la chronicité en psychosomatique : approche systémique de l'asthme infantile

“…Di Blasio et al, (1990) ont mis en évidence, même dans les familles de patients dont l'asthme est modéré, la présence de dynamiques dysfonctionnelles qui empêchent une utilisation positive des ressources pour affronter la maladie. Plus récemment, Wamboldt et al (1995) ont souligné l'importance des traumatismes psychologiques subis dans le passé par les parents d'enfants présentant des formes graves d'asthme : l'impact de la maladie de l'enfant provoquerait une ré-exacerbation du traumatisme et induirait des réactions anxieuses dont l'influence serait négative sur le patient.…”