Paper
Saturday, 22 July 2006
This presentation is part of : Studies and Models for Child and Adolescent Health Issues
Anxiety in Hospitalized Children: Comparison Between the Anxiety Referred to by the Children and the One Assessed by Parents and Nurses
Aida Cruz Mendes, PhD, RN, Health Sciences Research Unit: Nursing Domain, Nursing School Dr. Ângelo da Fonseca, Coimbra, Portugal and Wilson Jorge Abreu, PhD, Health Sciences Research Unit: Nursing Domain, Nursing School D. Ana Guedes, Coimbra, Portugal.
Learning Objective #1: recognise the importance of the validation of the conducted evaluations
Learning Objective #2: identify the differences in the evaluation of the hospitalized children anxiety, as perceived by the child, the parent and the nurse
The hospitalization of children is an important and significant process that can generate great anxiety and influence the recovery process. Therefore, it is important that the formal and informal caregivers have a realistic evaluation of the anxiety felt by the children.
The aim of this study was to identify the concordance of the anxiety evaluation made by the child, the one perceived by the parent, and by the nurse who is responsible for the direct care. A random sample of children hospitalized in the orthopaedic paediatrics (N1=30), their parent (N2=30) and the reference nurse (N3=30) was selected.
The children anxiety was assessed through the STAIC, state Trait (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children) adapted to the Portuguese population by Ponceano et al. (2000). The children anxiety perceived by parents and nurses was assessed through an adaptation of this inventory. Results show that the parents (X2=34,73) and the nurses(X3=35,50) have under estimated the anxiety felt by the children (X1=30,67) and that these differences are statistically significant. (F=5,120; p=0,008). The fact that there are no differences in the evaluation done by parents and nurses (p=0,885) leads the authors to emphasize the importance of the validation of the evaluation made by the children and shows that it is necessary to acknowledge that  parents are often themselves, very anxious in these situations.

See more of Studies and Models for Child and Adolescent Health Issues
See more of The 17th International Nursing Research Congress Focusing on Evidence-Based Practice (19-22 July 2006)