Family functioning, neurocognitive functioning, and behavior problems in children with sickle cell disease.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the independent and combined contributions of neurocognitive and family functioning to mother-reported behavior problems in children with sickle cell disease (SCD) and evaluate the factor structure of the Family Environment Scale (FES) with African American families.


METHODS
The study sample included 289 children enrolled in the multisite Cooperative Study of Sickle Cell Disease. The study protocol included neuropsychological evaluation and brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the children, and mothers completed the Child Behavior Checklist and Family Environment Scale.


RESULTS
With child and maternal demographic parameters controlled, conflicted family functioning, but not neurocognitive functioning, accounted for a significant portion of the variance in mother-reported behavior problems. The factor structure of the FES for families of children with SCD was found to be similar to that for other families.


CONCLUSIONS
Family functioning may be a salient target for fostering adaptation to chronic childhood illness.
Thompson
R J
RJ
Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA. Bobt@acpub.Duke.Edu
Armstrong
F D
FD
Kronenberger
W G
WG
Scott
D
D
McCabe
M A
MA
Smith
B
B
Radcliffe
J
J
Colangelo
L
L
Gallagher
D
D
Islam
S
S
Wright
E
E
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological / Q000502:physiology; D000755:Anemia, Sickle Cell / Q000150:complications*; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests