Coping with childhood asthma: caretakers' views

Childhood asthma is a chronic health condition that affects more than 1 million school-age children and their families. Asthma is the leading cause of school absences and accounts for a substantial amount of activity limitation in children. A small pilot study of caretakers of African American and Hispanic school-age children with asthma explored the effects of the illness on families and the coping strategies used by caretakers. Large and significant correlations were found between the perceived impact in the areas of financial burden, social and familial isolation, and personal strain. Caretakers reported using active coping, planning, religion, and acceptance of the illness most frequently. The authors suggest the value of making conceptual distinctions between the burden imposed by the illness and the coping skills used by caretakers.