Family management structural model for children with atopic dermatitis

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Dermatology
• Family Health
• Nursing Science

Background:

• Atopic dermatitis significantly impacts children's well-being and requires comprehensive family management.
• Effective family management strategies are crucial for mitigating the challenges associated with chronic childhood conditions like atopic dermatitis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a structural model illustrating the factors influencing family management of atopic dermatitis in children.
• To identify key direct and indirect predictors of successful family management for pediatric atopic dermatitis.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study utilizing structured questionnaires with primary caregivers of children (aged 2-12 years) diagnosed with atopic dermatitis for over three months.
• Structural equation modeling (SEM) with SPSS/WIN 26.0 and AMOS 23.0 was employed to analyze the proposed family management model.

Main Results:

• Family functioning resilience, social support, and family coping demonstrated significant direct effects on family management.
• Illness severity, illness duration, and family life difficulty indirectly influenced family management, with substantial total effects.
• The combined factors explained 78.9% of the variance in the family management model for atopic dermatitis.

Conclusions:

• The validated structural model effectively predicts family management in pediatric atopic dermatitis.
• Nursing interventions should focus on enhancing family functioning resilience, social support, and coping mechanisms.
• Tailored, family-centered nursing strategies considering illness severity and family characteristics are essential for improving health and quality of life.