ABSTRACT
This study is a meta-analytic review of the behavioral adjustment of children and adolescents with asthma. Of 78 studies initially reviewed, 26 studies (encompassing 28 data sets), reflecting data on nearly 5,000 children with asthma (mean age = 8.4 years; 40% female), met criteria for inclusion. Effect size estimates were calculated across studies using standard methods. Separate effect sizes were calculated for internalizing and externalizing behavioral problems, degrees of asthma severity, and differences in control group used (i.e., sample controls or normative data). Results indicate that children with asthma have more behavioral difficulties than do healthy children, with the effect for internalizing behaviors being greater than that for externalizing behaviors (d(mn) = .73 vs .40). Increased asthma severity was associated with greater behavioral difficulties. Results did not differ by comparison group (healthy controls vs normative data). The findings suggest that patients with asthma, particularly children with severe asthma, should be considered at higher risk for behavioral difficulties that may necessitate psychosocial intervention.
Subject(s)
Adaptation, Psychological , Asthma/psychology , Child Behavior Disorders/psychology , Sick Role , Adolescent , Child , Child Behavior Disorders/diagnosis , Female , Humans , Internal-External Control , Male , Risk Factors , Self Care/psychologyABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To establish preliminary reliability and validity data of the Body Image Instrument (BII), a 28-item self-report measure developed to assess body image in adolescents and young adults with cancer. METHOD: As part of a larger study assessing long-term adjustment in survivors of childhood cancer, 40 males and 27 females (mean age = 19.69 years, SD = 3.87) completed the BII and two validation measures: the SF-36 health survey and the Perceived Illness Experience measure. RESULTS: The five BII subscales--General Appearance, Body Competence, Others' Reaction to Appearance, Value of Appearance, and Body Parts--exhibited moderate to high internal reliability and concurrent validity. No significant sex differences in body image emerged, nor was age at diagnosis or time since diagnosis significantly correlated with body image. CONCLUSIONS: The measure may be of value in clinical settings, where it could be used to identify adjustment problems related to body image disturbance in pediatric cancer patients.
