Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-8ctnn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-17T09:04:34.227Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

I Don't Mind: Children's Attitude towards their Peers with Asthma in Primary Schools

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 May 2014

Mohammad A. Al-Motlaq  and
Kenneth Sellick
Mohammad A. Al-Motlaq*
Affiliation:
Hashemite University, School of Nursing, Kingdom of Jordan
Kenneth Sellick
Affiliation:
Monash University, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Australia
*
address for correspondence: Dr Mohammad A. Al-Motlaq, Assistant Professor, RN, BSN, MBS, PhD, Hashemite University, School of Nursing, Kingdom of Jordan. E-mail: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Peer attitudes towards children with asthma can significantly impact on their self-confidence and, hence, their social acceptance. It can be difficult for children with asthma to spend their time in class with peers who do not understand their situation and physical limitations. This paper investigated the attitudes of peers towards children with asthma, and explored factors affecting their attitude scores. A literature search failed to locate any instrument that measured the attitudes of school-aged children towards peers with asthma. Therefore, a new scale was developed by generating a list of items based on existing attitude measures; confirming the content validity by an expert panel; and pre-testing the scale with three primary school children. The main study invited children to complete an asthma knowledge test and the attitudes scale as a class activity. A convenience sample of 545 children without asthma from 16 primary schools participated in the study, of which 507 children completed the attitude towards children with asthma scale. Responses were coded and entered into SPSS 17.0 software for analyses. Approximately 80 per cent of children scored 8/10 or more on the test, suggesting a highly positive attitude expressed by children towards their peers with asthma. Two factors affected the attitude scores – being a female, and having higher asthma knowledge score. The study provided information about the proportion of children who have positive attitudes towards peers with asthma and the factors that affected their scores. The investigation led to the development of the Peer Attitudes toward Children with Asthma (PACA) scale.

Keywords

asthmachildrenpeerattitudescale
Type
Articles
Information
Children Australia , Volume 39 , Issue 2 , June 2014 , pp. 125 - 130
Copyright
Copyright © The Authors 2014 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Al-Motlaq, M., & Sellick, K. (2010). Development and validation of an asthma knowledge test for children 8–10 years of age. Child: Care, health and development, 37 (1), 123–128.Google Scholar
Asano, M., Sugiura, T., Miura, K., Torii, S., & Ishiguro, A. (2006). Reliability and validity of the self-report quality of life questionnaire for Japanese school-aged children with asthma (JSCA-QOL v.3). Allergology International, 55, 59–65.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Brook, U., & Kishon, Y. (1993). Knowledge and attitude of healthy high school students toward bronchial asthma and asthmatic pupils. Chest, 103, 455–457.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bukowski, W., & Hoza, B. (1989). Popularity and friendship: Issues in theory, measurement, and outcomes. In Bemdt, T. & Ladd, C. (Eds.), Contributions of peer relationships to children's development. New York: Wiley.Google Scholar
Campbell, J. (1975). Illness is a point of view: The development of children's concepts of illness. Child Development, 46 (1), 92–100.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gibson, P. G., Henry, R., Vimpani, G., & Halliday, J. (1995). Asthma knowledge, attitudes, and quality of life in adolescents. Archive of Disease in Childhood, 73 (4), 321–326.Google Scholar
Gottlieb, J., & Gottlieb, B. W. (1977). Stereotypic attitudes and behavioural intentions toward handicapped children. American Journal of Mental Deficiency, 82 (1), 65–71.Google Scholar
Grant, E., Turner-Roan, K., Daugherty, S., Li, T., Eckenfels, E., Baier, C., . . . Weiss, K. B. (1999). Development of a survey of asthma knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions: The Chicago community asthma survey. Chest, 116, 178–183.Google Scholar
Hazzard, A., & Baker, B. (1982). Enhancing children's attitudes toward disabled peers using a multi-media intervention. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 3, 247–262.Google Scholar
Jackson, T., Stensland, S., Todd, T., Lullo, A., Mazan, J., & Masood, A. (2006). Evaluation of a pediatric asthma awareness program. Journal of Asthma, 43, 311–317.Google Scholar
Lenney, W. (1997). The burden of pediatric asthma. Pediatric Pulmonology, 15, 13–16.Google Scholar
Link, B., & Phelan, J. (2001). Conceptualizing stigma. Annual Review of Sociology, 27 (1), 363–385.Google Scholar
Longoria, L., & Marini, I. (2006). Perceptions of children's attitudes towards peers with a severe physical disability. Journal of Rehabilitation, 72 (3), 19–25.Google Scholar
Mutius, E. (2000). The burden of childhood asthma. Archives of Disease in Childhood, 82 (Suppl 2), 2–5.Google Scholar
Parish, T., Ohlsen, R., & Parish, J. (1978). A look at mainstreaming in light of children's attitudes toward the handicapped. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 46, 1019–1021.Google Scholar
Rosenbaum, P., Armstrong, R., & King, S. (1988). Determinants of children's attitude toward disability: A review of evidence. Child: Care Health and Development, 17, 32–39.Google Scholar
Shaw, S. F., Marshak, H. H., Dyjack, D., & Neish, C. M. (2005). Effects of a classroom-based asthma education curriculum on asthma knowledge, attitudes, self-efficacy, quality of life, and self management behaviours among adolescents. American Journal of Health Education, 36 (3), 140–145.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
SPSS Inc. (2008). SPSS 17.0. Chicago: SPSS Inc.Google Scholar
Townsend, M., Wilton, K. M., & Vakilirad, T. (1993). Children's attitudes toward peers with intellectual disability. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 37, 405–411.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tzeng, L., Chin, C., & Chen, J. (2004). Exploring the knowledge of asthma, attitude and self-management behaviors of school age children with asthma in the Ping-Tung area. Hu li za zhi The Journal of Nursing, 51 (5), 37–44.Google Scholar
Wigal, J., Stout, C., Brandon, M., Winder, J., McConnaughy, K., Creer, T., & Kotses, H. (1993). The knowledge, attitude, and self-efficacy asthma questionnaire. Chest, 104, 1144–1148.Google Scholar
Willey, N., & McCandless, B. (1973). Social stereotypes for normal, educable mentally retarded and orthopedically handicapped children. Journal of Special Education, 7, 283–288.Google Scholar
Woolcock, A. J., Bastiampilli, S., Marks, G., & Keena, V. (2001). The burden of asthma in Australia. Medical Journal of Australia, 175, 141–145.Google Scholar