Children’s attitudes towards their chronic respiratory system diseases

Introduction. Chronic respiratory disease exposes the children to many difficult and new situations. Disorders caused by illness can distort
and disturbed the achievement of new aims. One of the important prognostic factors, which affect the functioning of ill children and
therapy, is children’s attitude toward their illness. Positive thinking about the illness helps live better and develop properly.

Aim of the study. The aim of the research was to study the attitudes of children who chronically suffer from breathing system illnesses.

Material and methods. The research was conducted in 2009 in Hospital Olszówka in Rabka and the Primary School in Łazany on a
group of 100 children, aged 10–14 years, troubled with chronic respiratory disease. The present study employs the scale — Child
Attitude Towards Illness Scale (CATIS). The obtained results was statistically verified, using one-way analysis of variance and test for
two indicators of structure.

Results. Negative attitudes presented small percentage of respondents, above all children who suffer asthma, chronic pneumonia and
bronchitis. The type of disease was the differentiating factor in attitudes toward the disease (CATIS scale), but only in the second group of
respondents such a correctness could be observed. Higher average level of CATIS scale was obtained by boys than girls.

Conclusions. The carried out research indicates that children’s attitudes towards their disease were varied. Pupils from the primary school
are better disposed than hospitalized children.

Nursing Topics 2011; 19 (1): 63–69