Parents sharing information with their children about genetic conditions.
BACKGROUND
Nurses are in an ideal situation to help families share information with their children about genetic conditions. While many factors contribute to this decision making, little is known about how parents decide when and how to convey this information to their children. The purpose of this qualitative analysis was to examine parents' beliefs and strategies related to sharing information about a genetic condition with their affected and unaffected children.


METHODS
One hundred thirty-nine parents participated in this study. Narrative analysis and fundamental qualitative description were employed to identify approaches and strategies that parents used to share information with their children.


RESULTS
Parents' information sharing approaches and strategies were grounded in the goal of promoting the child's adaptation to the genetic condition. Parents shared information based on their assessment of the child's developmental readiness and interest and described information sharing as an unfolding process that continued throughout childhood.


CONCLUSIONS
The approaches and strategies contribute to understanding the processes associated with information sharing between parents and their children and between health care professionals and parents.
Gallo
Agatha M
AM
Department of Maternal Child Nursing, College of Nursing, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL 60612, USA. agallo@uic.edu
Angst
Denise
D
Knafl
Kathleen A
KA
Hadley
Emily
E
Smith
Carrol
C
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002641:Chicago; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003142:Communication; D030881:Disclosure; D005260:Female; D030342:Genetic Diseases, Inborn / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology; D006379:Helping Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D024802:Nurse's Role; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010290:Parents / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology*; D011368:Professional-Family Relations; D002666:Psychology, Child; D036301:Qualitative Research; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires