Jrnl School Health Children's Belief in Problem Solving Skills Lessen Asthma

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Posted on 26 Feb 2006 # ANI

Higher self-esteem helps urban school kids keep asthma at bay

Washington: A new _study_

(http://www.newkerala.com/news2.php?action=fullnews & id=16680#) has found that

while many children living in urban areas suffer

from _asthma_ (http://www.newkerala.com/news2.php?action=fullnews & id=16680#) ,

those who have high _self-esteem_

(http://www.newkerala.com/news2.php?action=fullnews & id=16680#) and good

problem-solving skills may be less likely to

have their asthma symptoms interfere with school.

As a part of the study, _researchers_

(http://www.newkerala.com/news2.php?action=fullnews & id=16680#) studied a group

of urban, _school_

(http://www.newkerala.com/news2.php?action=fullnews & id=16680#) -aged children

(and their

mothers) with asthma from minority backgrounds. They found that self-esteem and

children’s beliefs about their problem-solving abilities functioned as ‘

resource factors’, or _personality_

(http://www.newkerala.com/news2.php?action=fullnews & id=16680#)

characteristics, that helped _counter_

(http://www.newkerala.com/news2.php?action=fullnews & id=16680#) the negative

effects of asthma and

urban living.

Daphne Koinis , PhD, with the Bradley _Hasbro_

(http://www.newkerala.com/news2.php?action=fullnews & id=16680#) Children’s

Research Center (BHCRC)

and Brown _Medical School_

(http://www.newkerala.com/news2.php?action=fullnews & id=16680#) , who led the

study, said that the results had shown that

children’s individual characteristics such as higher levels of

problem-solving

beliefs and self-esteem were associated with fewer school absences, more

participation in activities, and less missed sleep.

“Our results suggest that in spite of facing asthma symptoms, stressors

related to urban residence, as well as family life stressors, children’s

individual characteristics such as higher levels of problem-solving beliefs

and

self-esteem were associated with fewer school absences, more participation in

activities, and less missed sleep,†says lead author, “Enhancing

children’s

self-esteem and problem-solving beliefs may be important targets for future

school-based interventions with urban children who have asthma,†she added.

The study was published in the December 2005 issue of the Journal of School

Health.