Abstract

• This descriptive study explored the health and illness concepts of preschoolers to provide understanding on which to build research. The subjects were convenience sample three to six year of age attending one art institute in Che-ju city. Data were collected through semistructured interviews by author. Children were asked to draw two figures, one healthy and one ill persons. The drawings were not analyzed to grasp the meaning as in a projective technique, but only to relate to their response. Data were coded and categorized by content analysis. The results of this study are summarized as follows : 1) There year olds responded with some unrelated answers but well to questions related to their experiences of illness ; older participants answered questions related health and illness concepts more easily. Generally the levels of subjects' responses did not differ according to age and sex. 2) Preschoolers' answers about the cause, treatment and prevention of illness, and the meaning and promotion of health were coded and then classificated to 9 categories, (food, obedience to authorities physical function, presence of absence of illness or symptoms, hygiene. treatment, traumatic injury, rest and germs). Food and obedience to authority categories were most frequent responses the food category was associated with obedience to authority because it seemed that the children follow the orders of their parents or other authority figures to eat or not to eat something This result was compatible with that of previous studies that preschoolers perceived illness as possible punishment for misbehavior. Participants except for one four year old boy did not suggest that germs cause illness. The children perceived themselves and their families as health even though they had symptoms of illness. 3) Preschoolers' health and illness concepts were influenced by their experiences and related to their development that rules derived from authority and if not complied with, will bring punishment. These conceptualizations may be the disparity that they perceived themselves and their families as healthy even though they were ill. A previous study by Perrin and Gerrity suggested that the level of children's illness concepts correlated with that of their physical causality and was lower than it. But the levels of health and illness concepts in this sample higher than those of the physical causality.

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