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 leadin g cause of school absences and accounts for a substantial amount of ac tivity limitation in children. A small pilot study of caretakers of Af rican American and Hispanic school-age children with asthma explored t he effects of the illness on families and the coping strategies used b y caretakers. Large and significant correlations were found between th e perceived impact in the areas of financial burden, social and famili al isolation, and personal strain. Caretakers reported using active co ping, planning, religion, and acceptance of the illness most frequentl y. The authors suggest the value of making conceptual distinctions bet ween the burden imposed by the illness and the coping skills used by c aretakers.