THE PSYCHOLOGICAL FUNCTIONING OF CHILDREN WITH HYPERCHOLESTEROLEMIA AND THEIR FAMILIES - A PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION

The medical aspects of hypercholesterolemia have been studied extensively, but little research has addressed the psychological aspects of screening and treatment of the disease. This study compared the functioning of 32 children, ages 8 to 11 years, and their respective families. Eighteen children had hypercholesterolemia, and 14 had normal cholesterol levels. Responses on several psychological measures showed no differences between the two groups. Thus, hypercholesterolemia appears not to cause major psychological difficulties for children and their families. Analysis showed that those families reporting good dietary choices were more cohesive, more organized, and less conflictual than families who reported fair-to-poor dietary choices. Thus, family functioning may be related to dietary practices. These findings suggest that concern about negative psychological consequences of cholesterol screening is unfounded. Also, families for whom dietary modifications are critical may benefit from family-centered treatment as well as dietary counseling.