Abstract
This paper presents the findings of an investigation to determine whether or not there is a difference in the degree of psychological upset of rural and urban children during hospitalization. The subjects in the study were 70 children between the ages of 4 and 17 years who participated in the Child Life Program during hospitalization at Children's Hospital in Birmingham, Alabama. The anxiety levels of the children were evaluated by using three instruments: a 13-item, self-report test of fears; a 64-item observation checklist of negative behaviors; and a 4-item anxiety rating scale. The results revealed that on specific measures rural children exhibited a statistically significantly greater degree of psychological upset during hospitalization than urban children. Implications of these results in determining procedures to reduce anxiety of children during hospitalization are briefly considered.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 251-259 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | Maternal-child nursing journal |
| Volume | 16 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| State | Published - Sep 1987 |
| Externally published | Yes |