McKeon Lydia, Gildersleeve Jessica, Mullens Amy B
School of Psychology and Wellbeing, Centre for Health Research, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, QLD 4350, Australia.
School of Humanities and Communication, Centre for Health Research, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, QLD 4350, Australia.
Children (Basel). 2025 Apr 22;12(5):530. doi: 10.3390/children12050530.
Coeliac disease, a chronic and lifelong health condition, is one of the most common autoimmune diseases. However, it is also one of the most under-recognised conditions, and emotionally and cognitively appropriate materials are especially lacking for young children and their families who are coping with this disease. Effective health communication is essential for educating and supporting children living with coeliac disease as well as their families and communities. Picture books can serve as useful and accessible educational and health promotion tools, promoting adaptive coping strategies for dealing with a potentially traumatic condition. This study aimed to fill a critical gap in the literature by examining a range of picture books ( = 9) aimed at children three to eight years of age diagnosed with coeliac disease. Reflective thematic and structural narrative analyses were applied to explore strategies and themes used in these books and how they align with the current literature on developing coping through children's narratives. Four themes were developed and measured against an existing model of coping narratives to find a more specific model that recognises the specific concerns of coeliac disease. The four themes found were Information Provision; Promotion of CD Management; Anxiety and Hypervigilance Reduction, with two subthemes of Validating Feelings and Reducing Concerns; and Community and Connection. The findings have likely implications for the following applications: incorporation into clinician training (as a therapeutic and health promotion intervention), support within schools, authors of similar books for children coping with chronic illness, and coping approaches for individuals/families to promote health literacy/support regarding living with coeliac disease.
乳糜泻是一种慢性的终身健康状况，是最常见的自身免疫性疾病之一。然而，它也是最容易被忽视的疾病之一，对于正在应对这种疾病的幼儿及其家庭来说，尤其缺乏情感和认知方面合适的资料。有效的健康沟通对于教育和支持患有乳糜泻的儿童及其家庭和社区至关重要。图画书可以作为有用且易于获取的教育和健康促进工具，促进应对潜在创伤性状况的适应性应对策略。本研究旨在通过研究一系列针对3至8岁被诊断患有乳糜泻儿童的图画书（n = 9）来填补文献中的一个关键空白。应用反思性主题和结构叙事分析来探索这些书中使用的策略和主题，以及它们如何与当前关于通过儿童叙事发展应对方式的文献相一致。开发了四个主题，并根据现有的应对叙事模型进行衡量，以找到一个更具体的模型，该模型能够认识到乳糜泻的特定问题。发现的四个主题是：信息提供；乳糜泻管理促进；焦虑和过度警惕减轻，其中包括验证感受和减轻担忧两个子主题；以及社区与联系。这些发现可能对以下应用产生影响：纳入临床医生培训（作为一种治疗和健康促进干预措施）、学校内的支持、为应对慢性病儿童创作类似书籍的作者，以及个人/家庭的应对方法，以促进关于乳糜泻生活的健康素养/支持。
