Attitudes of children with a diagnosis of cellic disease and the factors affecting it

Taking hold of the small intestine, Celiac disease is an autoimmune enteropathy, characterized by a persistent susceptibility to gluten and also affecting other body systems. Considering that Celiac disease is one of the chronic diseases, the feelings and attitudes of children diagnosed with Celiac disease influence the child's coping mechanism and adaptation to the disease. With this study, it is aimed to determine the attitudes of children aged 9-17 towards their condition, Celiac disease. This descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted in a Pediatric Gastroenterology Policlinic of a Training and Research Hospital in a province in the Central Anatolia Region. The study was carried out with 54 children who applied to the gastroenterology clinic between 01 March 2019 - 01 March 2020, who have had celiac disease for at least six months and whose parents agreed to participate in the study. The research data were collected by using the "Introductory Information Form" and the "Child Attitude Towards Ilness Scale (CATIS)". Statistical analyzes were made with SPSS (Version 25.0) package program. Numerical variables are presented as mean and standard deviation, categorical variables as numbers and percentages. Student t test and one-way analysis of variance (One-way ANOVA) were used to compare scale scores. Statistical value of p <0.05 was considered significant. The average age of children with celiac disease who participated in the study was 13.09 ± 2.68, 63.0% of whom adhered to the gluten-free diet (GD), 55.6% of the families had difficulties in accessing / preparing gluten-free foods and the mean score of the CATIS was found 2.88 ±0,71. The difference between the mean scores of the CATIS was found significant that varies based on the professions of the mothers in the study, the time of diagnosis, adequate family support, compliance with GD, difficulty in implementing GD, and difficulty in reaching / preparing gluten-free foods (p <0.05). As a result, children diagnosed with Celiac disease have a negative attitude towards their own diseases. Accordingly, pediatric nurses can be recommended to provide psychosocial support for children's adaptation to the disease, where attitude is an important factor, the need for families and nurses to acknowledge the disease, and to develop a positive attitude towards children's diseases. Keywords: Child, Celiac disease, gluten, nurse, attitude