Abstract
Investigated the conceptions of illness and accuracy of understanding about their disease for children with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA). 54 children between the ages of 6 and 17 were interviewed individually about various aspects of JRA, with results suggesting that accuracy and illness conceptions could be reliably measured. As predicted, children's understanding about their disease followed a developmental progression, with older children demonstrating a more sophisticated understanding of JRA than younger children (significant differences between age groups on 3 of the 5 questions). Multiple regression analysis indicated that conceptual level (p < .001) was a better predictor of the child's accuracy of knowledge than was age (ns). Despite the developmental progression, there were a significant number of children functioning below the level expected for their age. In fact, the majority (75%) of children exhibited an understanding of JRA at the concrete operational level of cognitive development. The within-subject variability and striking misconceptions argue for ongoing evaluation of each child's understanding as a way to improve educational efforts.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 83-97 |
Number of pages | 15 |
Journal | Journal of pediatric psychology |
Volume | 18 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Feb 1993 |
Keywords
- Cognitive development
- Conceptions of illness
- JRA
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Pediatrics, Perinatology, and Child Health
- Developmental and Educational Psychology