Brief Report: Illness Intrusiveness and Adjustment among Native American and Caucasian Parents of Children with Juvenile Rheumatic Diseases

Objective To investigate cognitive appraisal–adjustment relationships in Native American (NA) and Caucasian parents of children diagnosed with juvenile rheumatic diseases. Methods NA (n 16) and Caucasian (n 24) parents completed measures of disease status, illness intrusiveness, and adjustment; the rheumatologist provided estimates of disease severity. Results Hierarchical regression analysis revealed a moderating effect for racial group membership on the illness intrusiveness–parent adjustment relationship. Specifically, parent-perceived illness intrusiveness was more closely related to poorer adjustment among NA parents relative to Caucasian parents. Post hoc tests indicated that illness intrusiveness was significantly associated with poorer adjustment in NA parents, but was unrelated to parent adjustment in the Caucasian sample. Conclusions Results highlight the importance of examining racial group differences in cognitive appraisal–adjustment outcome relationships. Results are discussed with respect to the need for incorporating cultural issues into pediatric chronic illness research and treatment. Key words illness intrusiveness; juvenile rheumatic disease (JRD); Native Americans; parent adjustment. Juvenile rheumatic diseases (JRDs) are among the more common childhood chronic illnesses, and include juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA), systemic lupu