Exploration of the Influence of Factors Identified in the Literature on School-aged Children's Emotional Responses to Asthma.
Verónica García Walker
PMID 28065421WHAT IT FOUND
In children with asthma, acting out behaviors predicted worse emotional well-being more strongly than anxiety or depression.
Nurses should monitor externalizing behaviors like impulsivity and trouble as cues for emotional distress, not just physiological symptoms.
Key findings
01Asthma severity and child externalizing behaviors were significant predictors of worse asthma-related child emotional functioning quality of life.
02The study model accounted for 26% of the variance in asthma-related child emotional functioning.
03No variables mediated the relationship between asthma severity and child emotional functioning quality of life.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The sample was drawn from rural school districts in central Texas, limiting generalizability to other regions. The internalizing behaviors instrument had low internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha .636) in this study. The model accounted for only 26% of the variance in child emotional functioning, leaving much unexplained. School absence data covered a different time frame (February-May) than other variables (June-August). The study was cross-sectional, so it cannot establish causality or directionality between variables. Very few children had ED visits or hospitalizations, so these morbidity factors could not be analyzed.
Declared interests
The author reports no conflicts of interest. The parent study was funded by the National Institutes of Health, National Institute for Nursing Research.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that internalizing behaviors like anxiety and depression are the primary emotional predictors in school-aged children with asthma. This study found that externalizing behaviors were a stronger predictor of poor emotional functioning, suggesting that acting out may be a more visible cue for distress in this age group than withdrawal.