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Family functioning and child asthma severity: A bio-behavioral approach
Nour Al Ghriwati1, Marcia A Winter1, Robin S Everhart1
1Department of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University.
Insights
Family factors like cohesion and communication indirectly impact childhood asthma severity through child depression, not anxiety. This highlights the importance of family dynamics in managing pediatric asthma. (33 words)
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Psychology
- Family Systems Theory
- Chronic Illness Management
Background:
- Family factors significantly influence psychosocial adjustment in children with chronic conditions like asthma.
- Negative family dynamics can exacerbate childhood asthma severity through bio-behavioral pathways.
- Previous research has not comprehensively explored strength-based family factors in relation to pediatric asthma.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the influence of strength-based family factors (cohesion, problem-solving, communication) on pediatric asthma severity.
- To examine the mediating roles of child depression and anxiety symptoms in this relationship.
- To understand the complex interplay between family functioning and childhood asthma outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Structural equation modeling was used to analyze data from 215 children (ages 5-12) and their families.
- Data included primary caregiver, child, and teacher ratings of child and family functioning.
- Objective measures of parent-child interactions and asthma severity were also collected.
Main Results:
- Significant indirect associations were found between family factors and child asthma severity, mediated by child depressive symptoms.
- These indirect pathways were not significant when child anxiety symptoms were considered.
- Family cohesion, problem-solving, and communication demonstrated an indirect effect on asthma severity via depression.
Conclusions:
- Family functioning indirectly impacts children's lung function, with depression playing a key mediating role.
- Childhood anxiety symptoms do not appear to mediate the relationship between family factors and asthma severity.
- Multirater, multimethod assessments are crucial for understanding pediatric asthma experiences.
Introduction:
Family factors are directly associated with the psychosocial adjustment of children with chronic illnesses such as asthma (Kaugars, Klinnert, & Bender, 2004). Research indicates that negative family factors may also contribute to child disease severity via bio-behavioral mechanisms of effect. For instance, children from more conflicted families often experience greater internalizing symptoms that subsequently impact their asthma severity (Wood et al., 2006). These pathways have yet to be examined with a comprehensive focus on strength-based family factors. This study examined whether factors such as family cohesion, problem-solving abilities, and communication influence asthma severity via their effects on child depression and anxiety symptoms.
Method:
Participants were 215 children (136 males and 79 females), ages 5 to 12 years old, and their families. Primary caregiver, child, and teacher ratings of child and family functioning in addition to objective measures of parent-child interactions and asthma severity were collected.
Results:
Using structural equation modeling, the authors identified significant indirect associations between family factors and child asthma severity via child depressive symptoms; however, these associations were not present in models with child anxiety symptoms.
Discussion:
Results suggest an indirect effect of family functioning on children's lung function, with differential roles of anxiety and depression in these pathways. This article also highlights the importance of incorporating multirater multimethod measures to understand children's experiences in pediatric asthma. (PsycINFO Database Record
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