Mothers of chronically ill children and perceptions of environmental variables

Environment plays a critical role in supporting families, but the influence of the environment on families with a chronically ill child has remained relatively unexplored. This paper presents a study that examined the role of the environment in families with a chronically ill child. This study, using a secondary analysis of two existing data bases (Holaday & Turner-Henson, 1991; U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1980), examined the influence of selected environmental factors on mothers' perceptions of the environment as supportive, resourceful, safe, and accessible. A presentation of the study findings, as well as implications for nursing practice, is presented.