Uncertainty and Anxiety in Families of Hospitalized Children

입원 아동 가족의 불확실성과 불안

The purpose of this study was to investigate the level of uncertainty and anxiety in families of hospitalized children. Data were collected through self-report questionnaires which were constructed to include parent's perception of uncertainty and state anxiety. The subjects consisted of 126 families of hospitalized children in one university-affiliated hospital in Daegu. The data were analyzed by the SPSS program. The results were as follows; 1. The mean score of uncertainty was 64.70 (Range=31-95). The mean scores of subsets of the uncertainty were followed as: lack of clarity (2.59), unpredictability (2.46), lack of information (2.22) and ambiguity (2.14). 2. The mean score of state anxiety was 47.93 (Range=20-67). 3.The level of uncertainty was positively correlated to the level of state anxiety. 4. The level of anxiety was different depending on their religion and monthly income. The above findings indicated that the level of uncertainty and the state anxiety in families of hospitalized children were positively correlated. Therefore, nursing intervention for reducing uncertainty and anxiety and improving coping method should be provided for families of hospitalized children.