Family competence and childhood asthma: A preliminary study

Fourteen family triads with an asthmatic child (ages 8-13) and a similar control group were studied. The process of decision making was used as an indicator of the family relationships. The variables analyzed were spontaneous agreement, time needed to arrive at a decision, satisfaction with the choice, and chaotic responses. The results showed that families with asthmatic children differ in some ways from the control families. These differences include mode of communication, family organization, and presence/absence of conflicts. We conclude that it is necessary to find within the family the resources and the competence needed in order to maintain the disease within physiological limits and to avoid aggravation of the symptoms.