Mothers’ Perception of Family and School life When their Children have a Chronic Condition

Abstract

Background: It has long been recognized that family and school are important influences on the growth and development of a child with a chronic condition. Despite this growing consensus, few investigators have looked at this relationship. Guided by the Family Management Style Framework (FMSF), the purpose of this qualitative study was to describe the perceptions of mothers of children with chronic conditions about family and school life. Methods: This study was a secondary analysis of data gathered from 41 mothers who were interviewed for a larger study on families who have a child with a chronic condition. A constant comparative method was utilized for analyzing verbatim audio recorded interview transcripts. Results: The three themes identified were: view of child, family illness management and school. Four parameters described the view of child: the child’s current physical health, the child’s adjustment to the condition, the child’s participation in self-care activities, and the outlook on the child’s future. For family illness management, mothers described a variety of specific strategies and behaviors used by the family to manage the child’s condition in the context of the home. The school theme focused on communication between mothers and the school system, resources provided to the child’s school, specific parental concerns regarding their children and school, and confidence in the school personnel. Conclusions: Results described the mothers’ perceptions of school life and showed that this is the first step in understanding how to assist these families in managing the care of the child with a chronic condition in the school setting. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.4021/ijcp54w