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Family functioning as a mediating variable affecting psychosocial adjustment of children with cystic fibrosis
Insights
Family functioning significantly impacts child adjustment, outweighing the effects of chronic illness like cystic fibrosis. This highlights the crucial role of family dynamics in pediatric health outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Psychology
- Family Systems Theory
- Chronic Illness Adjustment
Background:
- Children with chronic conditions like cystic fibrosis often face adjustment challenges.
- Family functioning is increasingly recognized as a critical factor in child development and health.
- Previous research indicates that children with cystic fibrosis generally adjust well, suggesting external factors mediate deficits.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate family functioning as a mediating variable in the adjustment of children with cystic fibrosis.
- To compare adjustment and family functioning across children with cystic fibrosis, asthma, and healthy controls.
- To determine if family functioning is a stronger predictor of child adjustment than the presence of illness.
Main Methods:
- Compared self-concept and behavior problems in children with cystic fibrosis, asthma, and healthy controls.
- Assessed family functioning (cohesion, adaptability) using a novel measure.
- Employed statistical control for family functioning effects when analyzing group differences in adjustment.
Main Results:
- No significant differences in family functioning or self-concept were found between the groups.
- Children with cystic fibrosis and asthma exhibited more behavior problems than healthy children.
- Family functioning significantly mediated the relationship between illness and behavior problems, becoming a stronger predictor of adjustment than illness status.
Conclusions:
- Family functioning is a more potent predictor of child adjustment than the presence of chronic illness.
- Deficits in adjustment for children with cystic fibrosis are likely influenced by mediating factors, particularly family dynamics.
- Interventions aimed at improving family functioning may enhance adjustment in chronically ill children.
Abstract:
Family functioning was examined as a mediating variable affecting adjustment in children with cystic fibrosis. Three groups of children (cystic fibrosis, asthma, and healthy control subjects) were initially compared on two dimensions of adjustment: self-concept and frequency of behavior problems. The families of these children were compared according to functional level of "cohesion" and "adaptability" (assessed by an as yet unvalidated family functioning measure). No significant difference was found between the groups in family functioning or children's self-concept. The two groups of chronically ill children did have significantly higher frequencies of behavior problems than had the healthy children. When there was statistical control for effects related to family functioning, however, this difference was not significant. Family functioning was found to be a better predictor of child adjustment than was the presence of illness. These results are consistent with recent research suggesting that children with cystic fibrosis adjust in basically healthy ways and that any deficits result more from mediating factors. In this study family functioning was found to be an important mediating factor in this process.