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Children's understanding of cystic fibrosis

M G Harbord1, D G Cross, F Botica

  • 1Department of Psychiatry, Adelaide Children's Hospital, South Australia.

Australian Paediatric Journal
|August 1, 1987
PubMed

Insights

Children with cystic fibrosis show developing knowledge of their illness with age. However, younger children (4-6 years) exhibit more positive attitudes toward therapy and self-management than older age groups.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Psychology
  • Pediatric Pulmonology

Background:

  • Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disorder affecting multiple organs.
  • Understanding of illness and attitudes towards therapy can impact treatment adherence and outcomes in pediatric patients.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the understanding and attitudes towards cystic fibrosis in children across different age groups.
  • To compare these perceptions with cognitive development stages.

Main Methods:

  • Interviewed 61 children (aged 4-18 years) with cystic fibrosis.
  • Compared responses across three age groups (4-6, 7-11, 12-18 years).
  • Correlated findings with Piagetian stages of cognitive development.

Main Results:

  • Knowledge of cystic fibrosis increased with age.
  • Younger children (4-6 years) reported more positive self-perceptions and therapy effects compared to older groups.
  • The 7-11 year group showed the least positive outlook on therapy benefits and CF, despite better clinical scores.

Conclusions:

  • Cognitive development influences children's understanding of cystic fibrosis.
  • Attitudes towards CF and its therapy are complex and vary significantly by age.
  • Interventions may need to be tailored to address age-specific psychological needs and perceptions in pediatric CF care.

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