Children's attitudes and beliefs about illness and medicines: A triangulation of open-ended and semi-structured interviews

TY - JOUR

T1 - Children's attitudes and beliefs about illness and medicines

T2 - A triangulation of open-ended and semi-structured interviews

AU - Almarsdóttir, Anna B.

AU - Hartzema, Abraham G.

AU - Bush, Patricia J.

AU - Simpson, Kit N.

AU - Zimmer, Catherine

PY - 1997/1/1

Y1 - 1997/1/1

N2 - The findings of an open-ended drawing interview about an illness episode and a semi-structured interview about a fever episode were triangulated to address four research questions. As they picked up their children from summer day camp, parents or guardians of 7- or 10-year olds were asked to consent to participation in the study. This represented a convenience sample of 73 American children. Fifty-seven of the 73 children's drawing interviews were analyzed. All participants were white and middle-class; the consent rate was 97%. The two methods showed that the children were familiar with contagion as a propagator of illness. Ten years old children talked more about germs; 7- year olds described the carriers of disease as responsible agents in infectious diseases. The older children described medicines in more adult terms, such as generic and brand names and indications for use. Younger children were more apt to describe medicines' subjective sensory aspects.

AB - The findings of an open-ended drawing interview about an illness episode and a semi-structured interview about a fever episode were triangulated to address four research questions. As they picked up their children from summer day camp, parents or guardians of 7- or 10-year olds were asked to consent to participation in the study. This represented a convenience sample of 73 American children. Fifty-seven of the 73 children's drawing interviews were analyzed. All participants were white and middle-class; the consent rate was 97%. The two methods showed that the children were familiar with contagion as a propagator of illness. Ten years old children talked more about germs; 7- year olds described the carriers of disease as responsible agents in infectious diseases. The older children described medicines in more adult terms, such as generic and brand names and indications for use. Younger children were more apt to describe medicines' subjective sensory aspects.

KW - Attitudes

KW - Children

KW - Drug use

KW - Health beliefs

KW - Illness behaviour

KW - Methodology

KW - Triangulation

KW - U.S.A.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0030792663&partnerID=8YFLogxK

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:0030792663

SN - 0281-0662

VL - 14

SP - 26

EP - 38

JO - Journal of Social and Administrative Pharmacy

JF - Journal of Social and Administrative Pharmacy

IS - 1

ER -