Perceptions of the body interior by children with asthma and children with no known chronic disease

Comparatively little is known about how children perceive their internal bodies. In particular there is a lack of British studies, both of children's normal perceptions and in children experiencing chronic ill health. Such studies are important if information is to be given to children in the most effective way. The current study presents the results of an investigation of 72 children, 36 of whom were chronic asthma sufferers, whilst the others had no known chronic disease. Children at ages 5-6 years, 7-8 years and 10-11 years were asked to draw their internal body parts and to answer questions about the functioning of nine body organs. Data were analysed to examine the effect of age, sex and presence of asthma on the children's responses. Five-year-olds knew significantly less about their lungs than did other groups, boys identified muscle and ribs more frequently than girls, and there was an increase in levels of conceptualisation with age. There were no significant differences between asthmatic and non-asthmatic children. The findings are considered with particular reference to their importance for nursing practice. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.