Development of a nursing support program to seamlessly support growth hormone therapy for small-for-gestational-age youth and their families

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K10440
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 58070:Lifelong developmental nursing-related
• Research Institution: Tenshi College
• Principal Investigator: TANAKA SAORI 天使大学, 看護栄養学部, 准教授 (00559825)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 茎津 智子 京都光華女子大学, 健康科学部, 教授 (10177975) ; 伊織 光恵 天使大学, 看護栄養学部, 講師 (40736287)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 成長ホルモン療法 / 思春期 / 家族 / 看護支援

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The aim of this study was to develop a nursing support program that would enable seamless support of growth hormone (GH) therapy for small-for-gestational-age (SGA) youth and their families.
An interview survey was conducted with adolescents undergoing GH therapy and their families. The study clarified the following issues faced in GH therapy. Namely, for adolescents undergoing GH therapy, the issues were “a lack of understanding concerning injections” and “a lack of guidance concerning therapy and few opportunities to obtain related information.” For their families, the issues were “a sense of burden associated with being responsible for their child’s treatment” and “self-blame for the short stature of their child.” The youth undergoing GH therapy desired interactions with other youth in the same situation. This suggests the need to consider active use of peer support as nursing support for SGA youth and their families.

Free Research Field

小児看護学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

GH療法では、学童期、思春期へと子どもの成長に合わせたシームレスな支援が重要である。本研究ではこれまで十分には調査されていなかったGH療法を受ける思春期にある子どもの治療への取り組みや認識について明らかにした。思春期にある子どもには同じ治療をしている他の子どものことが知りたいというニーズがあり、ピア・サポートを活用した支援の必要性が示された。本研究の結果は、SGA性低身長症児のみならず、GH療法を受けるすべての子どもと家族の療養行動を支えることおよび、子どもの健康な自我や発達を促す看護支援の検討に貢献するものと考える