Comparing parents' and children's views of children's quality of life after heart transplant.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this focused ethnographic study was to explore the quality of life (QOL) of school-age heart-transplant recipients.


METHODS
Semistructured interviews were conducted with 11 parent-child dyads. Data were analyzed using content analysis and constant comparison.


RESULTS
Participants identified key factors impacting the children's QOL including: participation in normal activities, normalcy, staying healthy, sources of strength and support, and struggles (parents' perspectives) and doing what kids do, being with family and friends, and being a heart transplant kid (children's perspectives).


CONCLUSIONS
Interventions focusing on the key factors identified by participants may impact the QOL of school-age heart-transplant recipients.
Green
Angela L
AL
Arkansas Children's Hospital, Little Rock, AR, USA. greenal@archildrens.org
McSweeney
Jean
J
Ainley
Kathy
K
Bryant
Janet
J
D000328:Adult; D000884:Anthropology, Cultural; D001290:Attitude; D001482:Base Composition; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior; D006304:Health Status; D016027:Heart Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008875:Middle Aged; D010290:Parents; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011788:Quality of Life; D012944:Social Support