Italo-Canadian mothers' beliefs surrounding cause and treatment/cure of childhood disabilities.
A qualitative design was used to explore Italo-Canadian beliefs about the cause and treatment/cure of childhood disabilities. A convenience sample of eight second-generation Italo-Canadian mothers of children with moderate to severe disabilities was recruited through a pediatric rehabilitation centre in Southern Ontario. The mothers were interviewed using open-ended questions that served as probes to stimulate their thoughts and feelings. Data analysis proceeded concomitantly with data collection, and consisted of content analysis. Three major categories of traditional causation beliefs were identified: (a) punishment for past wrongdoing, (b) "bad blood" caused by intermarriage or a family curse, and (c) supernatural forces such as mal'occhio (the evil eye). The major category identified for cure of childhood disability was magico-religious healing. These traditional beliefs were described by the mothers to be strongest among first-generation Italo-Canadians, especially grandparents. The mothers themselves expressed their acceptance of some of these beliefs, but only minimal acceptance of or resistance to others. Based on this study, it would be premature to formulate implications for practice; however, several directions for future research are identified.
Carr
T
T
Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto. tcarr@unbsj.ca
McKeever
P
P
Yoshida
M
M
D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health / Q000208:ethnology*; D002648:Child; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D005192:Family Health; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000208:ethnology; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D009864:Ontario; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires