The Relationships Between Trust Beliefs in Physicians by Children With Asthma, Those by Their Mothers and the Children's Medical Health.

Background: The study examined whether there were linear and curvilinear relationships between the trust beliefs in physicians by the children, those by their mothers and the children's medical health. The study examined whether there were changes in those relationships across time.

Methods: The data gathered in a previous study were subjected to further analyses. One hundred and forty-three children with asthma (116 males, M = 12 years and 7 months) and their mothers were administered standardized scales twice across 1 year. The scales assessed the children's trust beliefs in physicians, the mothers' trust beliefs in physicians, the children's quality of life and the children's adherence to prescribed medical regimes.

Results: Quadratic relationships were found between the children's quality of life and both their and their mothers' trust beliefs in physicians. The quadratic relationship increased over time. Linear relationships were found between trust beliefs in physicians and children's adherence to prescribed medical regimes.

Conclusion: Children with asthma are prone to a lower quality of life when they and their mothers hold very high, as well as hold very low, trust beliefs in physicians. Children's trust beliefs in physicians increase the probability of adherence to prescribed medical regimes.