Journal List > J Korean Acad Nurs > v.45(4) > 1003089

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Choi: Adaptation in Families of Children with Down Syndrome: A Mixed-methods Design
Original Article

Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing 2015; 45(4): 501-512.

Published online: 31 August 2015

DOI: https://doi.org/10.4040/jkan.2015.45.4.501

Adaptation in Families of Children with Down Syndrome: A Mixed-methods Design

Hyunkyung Choi

College of Nursing · The Research Institute of Nursing Science, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Korea.

Address reprint requests to: Choi, Hyunkyung. College of Nursing · The Research Institute of Nursing Science, Kyungpook National University, 680 Gukchabosang-ro, Jung-gu, Daegu 41944, Korea. Tel: +82-53-200-4791, Fax: +82-53-421-2758, hchoi@knu.ac.kr

Received 23 December 2014       Revised 12 January 2015       Accepted 1 April 2015

© 2015 Korean Society of Nursing Science

(open-access):

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution NoDerivs License. (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/) If the original work is properly cited and retained without any modification or reproduction, it can be used and re-distributed in any format and medium.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study, which was guided by the Resiliency Model of Family Stress, Adjustment, and Adaptation, was twofold: (a) to explore family and parental adaptation and factors influencing family adaptation in Korean families of children with Down syndrome (DS) through a quantitative methodology and (b) to understand the life with a Korean child with DS through a qualitative method.

Methods

A mixed-methods design was adopted. A total of 147 parents of children with DS completed a package of questionnaires, and 19 parents participated in the in-depth interviews. Quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed using stepwise multiple regression and content analysis respectively.

Results

According to the quantitative data, the overall family adaptation scores indicated average family functioning. Financial status was an important variable in understanding both family and parental adaptation. Family adaptation was best explained by family problem solving and coping communication, condition management ability, and family hardiness. Family strains and family hardiness were the family factors with the most influence on parental adaption. Qualitative data analysis showed that family life with a child with DS encompassed both positive and negative aspects and was expressed with 5 themes, 10 categories, and 16 sub-categories.

Conclusion

Results of this study expand our limited knowledge and understanding concerning families of children with DS in Korea and can be used to develop effective interventions to improve the adaptation of family as a unit as well as parental adaptation.

Keywords: Adaptation, Down syndrome, Family, Mixed-methods, Parents

Figures and Tables

Table 1

Family and Parental Adaptation according to Demographic Characteristics

jkan-45-501-i001

*Low values on family well-being indicate better family adaptation; DS=Down syndrome.

Table 2

Correlations among Family Factors (N=141)

jkan-45-501-i002

*Low values on family well-being indicate better family adaptation; †Significant at the 0.05 level.

Table 3

Family Factors Influencing Family and Parental Adaptation

jkan-45-501-i003

*Low values on family well-being indicate better family adaptation.

Table 4

Parental Experiences in Families of Children with Down Syndrome

jkan-45-501-i004

DS=Down syndrome.

Notes

This research was supported by Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education (No. NRF-2013R1A1A1058809).

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