Paper
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Effectiveness of an Intervention to Improve Quality of Life in Children with Cystic Fibrosis
Becky J. Christian, PhD, RN, College of Nursing, The University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| Learning Objective #1: describe the effectiveness of an intervention for improving quality of life in children with Cystic Fibrosis . |
| Learning Objective #2: describe the impact and social consequences of chronic illness on quality of life in children with Cystic Fibrosis. |
Background: Improved survival for children with Cystic Fibrosis (CF) requires balancing physiologic and functional health demands with psychosocial and developmental needs. Vulnerable children with CF are at-risk for poor outcomes related to psychosocial and developmental demands that may conflict with CF management. For satisfactory quality of life and improved health outcomes, effective intervention strategies are needed to teach children to integrate chronic illness into their everyday lives.
Purpose: To test the effectiveness of a theory-based intervention to teach children (8 to12 years) with CF to manage physiologic, functional and psychosocial demands to improve quality of life.
Methods: A longitudinal two-group experimental, repeated measures design compared 116 children with CF who were randomly assigned to intervention and usual care groups. Building Life Skills for Children with CF, is a theory-based, problem-solving and social skills intervention, that was developed from three qualitative studies of children with CF. Psychosocial adjustment was measured using: Perceived Illness Experience, Children’s Loneliness Scale, Self-Perception Profile for Children, and Social Support Scale for Children.
Results: Repeated measures MANOVA was used to compare groups at baseline, 3-,6-, and 9-months post-intervention. Significant differences were found between groups for impact of CF on quality of life (F=14.10, df 3,112, p<.0001); and the intervention group demonstrated improved quality of life with significant intervention effects (F=3.05, df 3,112, p=.03) sustained over time (T1-T4, F=6.45, df 1,114, p=.01; T3-T4, F=4.85, df 1,114, p=.02).
Implications: Children who received the intervention demonstrated improved quality of life that was sustained over time. For improved health outcomes, developmentally appropriate interventions are essential for children with CF. The impact of CF on quality of life reflects the social consequences of chronic illness in children’s lives. More effective strategies for managing the demands of CF, while meeting children’s psychosocial and developmental needs, are critical for improving practice outcomes.