title: Concepts of illness and perception of control in healthy children and in children with chronic illnesses.
abstract: Healthy children, children with seizure disorders, and children with orthopedic conditions, ranging in age from 5 to 16 years old, were questioned about their knowledge of disease etiology, treatment, and prevention, and their health locus of control beliefs, to explore the relationship between illness-related concept attainment and perceived control over health. Children who perceived greater personal control over health demonstrated a more sophisticated conceptual understanding of disease than did children with a more external orientation. Healthy children scored significantly higher on the illness concepts questions and expressed significantly more internal health locus of control beliefs than did their peers with a chronic physical illness. Perceived control over health appears to be one factor that mediates the relationship between illness experience and understanding.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37203.
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Shagena
authors.forename: H K
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Sandler
authors.forename: E C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Perrin
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D001848:Bone Diseases, Developmental / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000523:psychology*; D003210:Concept Formation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008297:Male; D012640:Seizures / Q000523:psychology; D012803:Sick Role