title: Predictors of adaptation in Icelandic and American families of young children with chronic asthma.
abstract: The purposes of this international study were to determine the predictors of adaptation and to assess potential moderating effects of parents' sense of coherence and family hardiness on the relationship of severity of illness of a child with asthma and family and caregiving demands as predictors of family adaptation. For both parents, sense of coherence and family hardiness predicted family adaptation. Icelandic mothers perceived their family's adaptation more favorably than did their American counterparts. For the fathers, family demands predicted adaptation. Sense of coherence moderated the effect of family demands on adaptation for both parents. These findings underscore the importance of strengthening individual and family resiliency as a mechanism for improving family adaptation.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Nursing, University of Iceland, Reykjavik. eks@hi.is
authors.forename: Erla Kolbrun
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Svavarsdottir
authors.forename: Mary Kay
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Rayens
authors.forename: Marilyn
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: McCubbin
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology*; D001294:Attitude to Health / Q000208:ethnology; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005190:Family / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology*; D005220:Fathers / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007055:Iceland; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014481:United States