Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA.
J Dev Behav Pediatr. 2010 Jan;31(1):26-34. doi: 10.1097/DBP.0b013e3181c7226b.
The aims were to describe and compare generic family functioning in children with five different chronic conditions and healthy comparisons, and to examine the relations between family functioning and sociodemographic variables.
A secondary data analysis from six independent studies including 301 children (cystic fibrosis: n = 59; obesity: n = 28; sickle cell disease: n = 44; inflammatory bowel disease: n = 43; epilepsy: n = 70; healthy comparison group: n = 57) was conducted. In each study, parents completed the Family Assessment Device.
Across all five chronic conditions, between 13% and 36% of families endorsed levels of functioning in the "unhealthy" range, with the greatest proportions in the following domains: communication, roles, and affective involvement. No significant group (i.e., between all six groups, namely five chronic conditions as well as healthy comparisons) differences were observed on Family Assessment Device scales (model F [35, 1335] = 0.81, p = .79). Older child age, fewer children living in the home, and lower household income were significantly related to poorer family functioning in the areas of communication, roles, affective involvement, and general functioning.
Families of children with and without chronic conditions do not differ significantly from each other on generic family functioning. However, risk factors for poor family functioning include older child age, less children in the home, and lower household income. These risk factors combined with data suggesting that a subset of families exhibit "unhealthy functioning" warrants the need for close monitoring of how families function in the context of a pediatric condition.
描述和比较五种不同慢性疾病儿童与健康对照儿童的一般家庭功能，并探讨家庭功能与社会人口学变量之间的关系。
对六项独立研究中的 301 名儿童（囊性纤维化：n = 59；肥胖症：n = 28；镰状细胞病：n = 44；炎症性肠病：n = 43；癫痫：n = 70；健康对照组：n = 57）的二次数据分析。在每项研究中，父母都完成了家庭评估设备的评估。
在所有五种慢性疾病中，有 13%至 36%的家庭功能处于“不健康”范围，其中在以下领域比例最高：沟通、角色和情感投入。家庭评估设备量表（模型 F [35, 1335] = 0.81，p =.79）上未观察到任何显著的组间差异（即，所有六组之间，即五种慢性疾病以及健康对照组）。儿童年龄较大、在家中居住的儿童较少以及家庭收入较低与沟通、角色、情感投入和一般功能等领域的家庭功能较差显著相关。
患有和不患有慢性疾病的儿童的家庭在一般家庭功能方面彼此之间没有显著差异。然而，家庭功能不良的风险因素包括儿童年龄较大、在家中居住的儿童较少以及家庭收入较低。这些风险因素与数据表明，一部分家庭表现出“功能不健康”，这表明需要密切监测家庭在儿科疾病背景下的功能情况。
