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Attention, coping, and activity in children undergoing orthopaedic surgery
L L LaMontagne1, J E Johnson, J T Hepworth
1Vanderbilt University School of Nursing, Nashville, TN 37240-0008, USA.
Insights
Children focusing on concrete surgery details coped better and recovered faster. Vague attention was linked to poorer outcomes, highlighting the importance of focused attention for pediatric surgical recovery.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Psychology
- Surgical Recovery
- Child Health
Background:
- Preoperative focus of attention influences children's surgical recovery.
- Understanding coping mechanisms is crucial for pediatric patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the relationship between children's preoperative attention focus, coping strategies, and postoperative recovery.
- To identify how different attention foci (concrete-objective, emotion, vague) impact return to usual activities.
Main Methods:
- 97 children (ages 8-17) undergoing major orthopaedic surgery were studied.
- Data collected preoperatively and at 3, 6, and 9 months postoperatively.
- Attention focus classified as concrete-objective, emotion, or vague.
Main Results:
- Concrete-objective attention correlated with the best activity outcomes.
- Emotion-focused attention showed moderate outcomes; vague attention had the least favorable outcomes.
- Vigilant copers with concrete-objective focus demonstrated the most positive outcomes.
Conclusions:
- Focusing on concrete surgical aspects aids pediatric recovery and coping.
- Vague attention is associated with poorer postoperative activity outcomes.
- Targeted attention strategies may improve recovery for children undergoing surgery.
Abstract:
The purpose of this study was to determine how children's preoperative focus of attention on the stresses of surgery related to their preoperative coping and return to usual activities during recovery. Children's attention was classified according to three different foci: concrete-objective, emotion, and vague. Children (N = 97) between the ages of 8 and 17 years who were undergoing major orthopaedic surgery participated in the study. Data were collected the day before surgery, and at 3, 6, and 9 months postoperatively. Children who focused on the concrete-objective aspects of surgery had the most positive activity outcomes, followed by the emotion-focused attention group. Children who were classified as having vague focused attentions had the least favorable activity outcomes. When there were significant coping by attention interaction effects, vigilant copers who had a concrete-objective focus of attention had the most favorable activity outcomes at each time of measurement. Children who were able to focus their attention on concrete aspects of the experience tended to use vigilant coping and were able to return to their usual activities sooner.