title: The Stress of Caring for Children With Asthma: A Qualitative Study of Primary Caregivers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Asthma is one of the most common chronic diseases in children. The unpredictability, frequency, and health risks associated with acute asthma attacks have a profound impact on the daily lives of affected children and their families. Understanding the experiences of primary caregivers may help nurses provide better care to children with asthma.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study explores the experience of primary caregivers in providing care to children with asthma.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study used exploratory and descriptive research methods and collected data using a qualitative research interview approach. Seventeen primary caregivers of children with asthma who visited the allergy clinics of two medical centers and one regional hospital in northern Taiwan participated in the study. An interview guide with a semistructured questionnaire was used, and verbatim transcripts of the audiotape-recorded interviews were analyzed using content analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The findings are described in three themes covering 10 categories. These themes and categories include feelings of uncertainty during illness (disease as perception related, lack of information), feelings of chaos and instability (worry, fear, frustration, helplessness, physical distress), and social tension and family conflict (disorientation of daily activity and burden of care, economic burden, family tensions and disagreements).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Negative experiences with asthma care and the unpredictability of the disease outcomes impair the ability of caregivers to adapt successfully to their caregiving role and encourage perceptions that they cannot cope with this illness. Better understanding the caregiver experience may assist healthcare providers to better target support to these caregivers so that they are better able to care for children with asthma.
authors.affiliation: 1PhD, RN, Director, Department of Nursing, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Keelung, and Assistant Professor, Department of Nursing, Chang Gung University of Science and Technology 2MD, Vice Superintendent, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, and Professor, Chang Gung University 3MD, Director, Division of Allergy, Asthma, and Rheumatology, Department of Pediatrics, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, and Associate Professor, Chang Gung University 4PhD, RN, Professor and Chair, School of Nursing, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, and Consultant, Department of Nursing, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Keelung.
authors.forename: Sue-Hsien
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Jing-Long
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Kuo-Wei
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Yeh
authors.forename: Yun-Fang
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Tsai
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001249:Asthma / Q000451:nursing* / Q000523:psychology*; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000451:nursing* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D036301:Qualitative Research; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013624:Taiwan