School of Psychology, Massey University, Private Bag 11 222, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand.
Health (London). 2013 Jan;17(1):3-19. doi: 10.1177/1363459312442421. Epub 2012 May 4.
In this article we highlight the ways in which young children draw on their family contexts in their meaning making about the causes of illness. Studies of young children's understanding of illness causality have largely focused on the nature of children's knowledge rather than the ways in which children acquire their knowledge. Seeking to advance a socio-constructivist understanding of young children's conceptualization of illness causality, we interviewed five four-year-old children and their family members. Analysis of participants' narrative accounts suggests that young children's illness causality constructions are significantly influenced by the particular illness experiences, illness prevention messages and behavioural rules within families. By identifying and acknowledging young children's meaning making within the socio-cultural context of the family, health practitioners may be better placed to develop effective health education programmes and provide enhanced psychosocial support for young children and their families.
在本文中，我们强调了幼儿在对疾病病因的理解中如何利用其家庭背景。对幼儿对疾病因果关系的理解的研究主要集中在儿童知识的本质上，而不是儿童获取知识的方式上。为了深入了解社会建构主义对幼儿对疾病因果关系的概念化的理解，我们采访了五名四岁的儿童及其家庭成员。对参与者叙述性描述的分析表明，幼儿的疾病因果关系建构受到家庭中特定疾病经验、疾病预防信息和行为规则的显著影响。通过在家庭的社会文化背景中识别和承认幼儿的意义建构，卫生保健从业者可能更有能力为幼儿及其家庭制定有效的健康教育计划并提供增强的社会心理支持。
