The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #61411

Laura R Hoard, MS, Department of Family Studies, University of Maryland, College Park, 1204 Marie Mount Hall, College Park, MD 20742, 301-405-8940, lrhoard@yahoo.com

Families living with a child with a chronic illness may face additional challenges not found when a child is healthy. Most children experience typical childhood illnesses, but for many these illnesses do not require prolonged daily management that children living with a chronic illness experience. Daily management may increase financial stresses to provide doctor and prescription copays, straining already tight family budgets. The child's current health may influence parental beliefs about their control and management of the illness, which may lead to lower levels of well-being. However, social support may mediate the effects of both financial and health stress on parental well-being. The current research will examine the influence financial and health stresses have on parental well-being and the mediating effect of social support. The sample includes primary caregivers of school age children who have completed the nationally representative Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) Child Development Supplement. Six hundred and forty-three children living with chronic illness (asthma, anemia, chronic ear infections, and diabetes) will be compared with a random sample of children without a chronic illness. Higher levels of stress will negatively influence parental well-being of both groups, but will do so more for parents of children living with a chronic illness. Social support will serve as a moderator and decrease the influence of the stresses on parental well-being. Policy and program implications will be discussed.

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will recognize the importance of social support in maintaining parental well-being.
• Participants will be able to apply research findings to their own programs or research.
• Participants will be able to discuss program and policy implications of financial stresses on parental well-being.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.