ADJUSTMENT OF SCHOOL AGE CHILD WITH RHEUMATIC FEVER

SUMMARYRheumatic fever is an inflammatory disease that occurs after infection with group A-beta hemolytic streptococcal pharyngitis. It is a self-limited illness that involves the joints, skin, brain, serous surfaces and heart. Cardiac valve damage is the most sThe aim of this study was to assess the level of adaptation of school age child with rheumatic fever.One hundred child constituted the sample of this study (50 school child having rheumatic fever and 50 normal school child).Two tools were used in this study:1. An interview questionnaire sheet was used to collect the demographic data and the history of the disease.2. A standardized Egyptian scale for adaptation was used to assess the adaptation level of school age child with rheumatic fever.The study results revealed the following:-More than half of the studied and control groups were females (56% and 52% respectively). The mean age of the studied group was 9.9 2.1 years while it was 101.95 years for the control group.-Nearly half of the studied group (52%) were the fourth or fifth born child compared to more than one quarter of the control group (28%). There was a statistically significant difference between the two studied groups (P=0.01).-Majority of the studied group (70%) had average level with scholastic achievement, as reported by their mothers, compared to nearly one third of the control group (32%). There was a statistically significant difference between the two studied groups (P=0-Thirty-four percent of the fathers age of the studied group ranged from 50-< 60 years compared to about one quarter (22.0%) of the control group. There was a statistically significant difference between the two studied groups (P=0.01).-Regarding the educational level, more than one third of the fathers of the studied group (38%) were illiterate compared to only 8% of the control group. On the other hand, more than two thirds of the mothers of the studied group (68%) and 26% of the cont-A relatively high percent (42% &54%) of fathers of both groups studied & control groups respectively were governmental employees while the majority of mothers were housewives. There was no statistically significant differnce between the parents of both g-A statistically significant difference was found between the two studied groups regarding their income/capita/month (P=0.000), where most of the studied group (62%) and less than one quarter (24%) of the control group their income was less than forty pou-The crowding index of the studied group was higher than that of the control group and the difference between the two studied groups was statistically significant (P=0.009).-There was a statistically significant difference between the two studied groups regarding the domains of physical growth and development, where the control group was better adapted than the studied group (P < 0. 05).-A statistically significant difference was found between the two studied groups regarding the domains of behavior disorder, where the studied group was characterized by more behavior disorders than the control group (P< 0.05).- Concerning the relationship between children’s sex, age, birth order and their physical growth and development there were statistically significant differences only in the domains of physical development (P=0.01), socialization (P=0.000) and the domain - The relationship between children’s sex, age, and their behavior disorder was statistically in significant (P> 0.05). On the other hand, there was a statistically significant difference between children’s birth order and their behavior disorder only in