"God gives me hope!": Hospitalized children's perception of the influence of religion in coping with chronic illness.

PURPOSE: The mechanism of the impact of religion on health is still unclear, especially in children and adolescents with chronic illness who live in religious contexts. This study aimed to understand the influence of religion on coping with chronic diseases from the perspective of hospitalized children and adolescents diagnosed with cancer, type 1 diabetes mellitus and cystic fibrosis. DESIGN AND METHODS: Qualitative descriptive research used photo-elicitation interviews with 35 Brazilian children and adolescents with cancer, type 1 diabetes mellitus and cystic fibrosis, aged between 7 and 17 years old. A thematic analysis approach was used to analyze qualitative data. RESULTS: Participants were diagnosed with cystic fibrosis (14.3%), cancer (57.1%), and type 1 diabetes mellitus (28.6%) and 82.9% had a religious affiliation. Three themes were constructed: finding strength and support in the relationship with the divine, religion as an important source of meaning, and religious practice as a promoter of well-being. These themes demonstrate that children and adolescents themselves perceived their illness as a journey through which their faith grew. CONCLUSIONS: This research shows the influence of religion on the positive coping of chronic illness, being a source of strength and support from the relationship with the divine, as well as offering a source of meaning, purpose and well-being based on religious practices. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: This study supports clinical practice, based on the recognition of the patient as a religious and spiritualized person who has spiritual beliefs and needs that are capable of influencing treatment.

Spiritual Needs of Brazilian Children and Adolescents with Chronic Illnesses: A Thematic Analysis.

PURPOSE: To identify the spiritual needs of children and adolescents with chronic illnesses and how these needs are met by health professionals during hospitalization. DESIGN AND METHODS: A qualitative descriptive study was developed with 35 children and adolescents, between 7 and 18 years old, diagnosed with cancer, cystic fibrosis, and type 1 diabetes. Interviews with photo-elicitation were conducted during the hospitalization at a Brazilian public pediatric hospital. Findings were treated using thematic analysis, and the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ) was followed for quality reporting. This research was approved by a research committee. RESULTS: Two themes emerged. The first, entitled 'Spiritual needs', encompasses five types of needs: (1) need to integrate meaning and purpose in life; (2) need to sustain hope; (3) need for expression of faith and to follow religious practices; (4) need for comfort at the end of life; and (5) need to connect with family and friends. The second theme was the 'Definition of spiritual care'. CONCLUSIONS: Children and adolescents with chronic illnesses have spiritual needs while in hospital. Meeting these needs is essential for finding meaning, purpose and hope in the experience of living with chronic illnesses and at the end of life, based on their faith, beliefs and interpersonal relationships. But, these needs have not been fully addressed during hospitalization. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: These results emphasize the need to implement spiritual care when caring for hospitalized pediatric patients, which includes addressing spiritual needs.

Children in outpatient follow-up: perspectives of care identified in interviews with puppet. / Crianças em seguimento ambulatorial: perspectivas do atendimento evidenciadas por entrevista com fantoche.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the perspective of children on their health condition and experiences related to outpatient hospital care and the use of the puppets as a playful strategy to collect data. METHOD: A qualitative study with 16 children diagnosed with chronic diseases recruited in a pediatric outpatient clinic in countryside of Sao Paulo. Data were collected in October 2016 using a semi-structured interview and a puppet to facilitate communication. The interview transcripts were subjected to inductive thematic analysis. RESULTS: We constructed four themes: "Children in ambulatory follow-up: what do they know?"; "Emotions manifested in outpatient follow-up"; "The outpatient clinic of my dreams" and; "The use of puppets and the playful universe of interviews". FINAL CONSIDERATIONS: We identified the reasons and main feelings experienced during outpatient care, as well as the children's preferences regarding the physical and structural aspects of the outpatient clinic.

Crianças em seguimento ambulatorial: perspectivas do atendimento evidenciadas por entrevista com fantoche / Niños en seguimiento ambulatorio: perspectivas de la atención evidenciadas por entrevista con títere / Children in outpatient follow-up: perspectives of care identified in interviews with puppet

Resumo OBJETIVO Analisar a perspectiva da criança sobre a própria condição de saúde, suas experiências relacionadas ao atendimento ambulatorial hospitalar e ao uso de fantoches como estratégia lúdica para a coleta de dados. MÉTODO Estudo qualitativo, incluiu 16 crianças diagnosticadas com doenças crônicas, recrutadas em um ambulatório pediátrico do interior paulista. Os dados foram coletados em outubro de 2016 mediante entrevista semiestruturada e utilizou-se o fantoche como recurso facilitador na comunicação. As entrevistas foram analisadas por meio da análise temática indutiva. RESULTADOS Foram construídos quatro temas: "criança em seguimento ambulatorial: o que elas sabem?"; "emoções que perpassam o seguimento ambulatorial"; "o ambulatório dos meus sonhos"; e "a utilização dos fantoches e o universo lúdico da entrevista". CONSIDERAÇÕES FINAIS Foi possível identificar o motivo e os principais sentimentos vivenciados durante o atendimento ambulatorial, assim como as preferências das crianças acerca dos aspectos físicos e estruturais do ambulatório.

Resumen OBJETIVO Analizar la perspectiva del niño acerca de su condición de salud y experiencias relacionadas al a atención ambulatoria hospitalar y el uso de los títeres como estrategia lúdica para recoger datos. MÉTODO Estudio cualitativo, incluyó a 16 niños diagnosticados con enfermedades crónicas reclutadas en un ambulatorio pediátrico del interior paulista. Los datos fueron recolectados en octubre de 2016 mediante entrevista semiestructurada y se utilizó el fantoche como recurso facilitador en la comunicación. Las entrevistas fueron analizadas por medio del análisis temático inductiva. RESULTADOS Se construyeron cuatro temas: "niño en seguimiento ambulatorio: ¿qué saben?"; "Emociones que atraviesan el seguimiento ambulatorio"; "el ambulatorio de mis sueños" y; "la utilización de los títeres y el universo lúdico de la entrevista". CONSIDERACIONES FINALES Fue posible identificar el motivo y los principales sentimientos del seguimiento ambulatorio, así como las preferencias, de los niños, relacionados con los aspectos físicos y estructurales del ambulatorio.

Abstract OBJECTIVE To analyze the perspective of children on their health condition and experiences related to outpatient hospital care and the use of the puppets as a playful strategy to collect data. METHOD A qualitative study with 16 children diagnosed with chronic diseases recruited in a pediatric outpatient clinic in countryside of Sao Paulo. Data were collected in October 2016 using a semi-structured interview and a puppet to facilitate communication. The interview transcripts were subjected to inductive thematic analysis. RESULTS We constructed four themes: "Children in ambulatory follow-up: what do they know?"; "Emotions manifested in outpatient follow-up"; "The outpatient clinic of my dreams" and; "The use of puppets and the playful universe of interviews". FINAL CONSIDERATIONS We identified the reasons and main feelings experienced during outpatient care, as well as the children's preferences regarding the physical and structural aspects of the outpatient clinic.