| Description |
One hundred and four families who had received services from the Intermountain Cystic Fibrosis Pediatric Gastrointestinal Center within the past year agreed to participate in a retrospective, exploratory study of the relationship between stressful life events and the severity of cystic fibrosis (CF). Supporting the hypotheses, life events of both the primary caretaker and the CF child were found to be related to CF severity. Of the various measures of CF severity, two measures of pulmonary involvement, current antibiotic therapy and the x-ray component of the Shwachman score were found to be the most strongly related to stressful life events. A multiple regression analysis of the primary caretaker's life events identified eight events which accounted for 19% of the variability of each of these two pulmonary measures. In declining order of importance, these life events included marital separation, vacations, change in work responsibilities, a loan of less than $10,000, gaining a new family member, divorce, change in living conditions, and change in social activities. It was concluded that these events may interfere with the primary care taker's ability to provide home pulmonary therapy. Alternative interpretations were discussed. |
