Parents' perceptions of children with chronic illness: a study of immigrant Chinese families

This article describes and discusses parents' perceptions of a children with a long-term health problems in 16 Chinese immigrant families and 15 Euro-Canadian families. These data are part of a larger study, the purpose of which was to explore the illness experience and help-seeking behavior of these families. The data show that the Euro-Canadian parents see the illness or disability as affecting only particular aspects of the child's life, while the child as a whole is seen as normal. The Chinese parents more frequently describe the illness as having global effects on many aspects of the child's present and future life. These differences in perception are discussed in relation to literature about Chinese culture and the experience of immigration. It is suggested that how a parent perceives a child's illness affects how a parent cares for the child and interacts with health care providers.