A Qualitative Study to Assess the Needs and Problems of High School Children with Asthma and Epilepsy

This qualitative study has aimed to explore the needs and problems of high school children with asthma and epilepsy. Generally Children spend most part of their life time in school. Children with specific chronic illness attending schools is interrupted as because of their physical discomfort, treatment for illness and High school children attending schools with chronic illness like asthma and epilepsy is challenging for the ill children, parents, teachers and peer groups. Asthma and Epilepsy has ten percentage prevalence in India and World. The present research study deals with needs and problems of high school children with asthma and epilepsy. Research approach was qualitative approach. Cross sectional study design using qualitative techniques of FGDs (Focus Group Discussion) and In-Depth interviews(ID) was adapted for this study. The study was conducted in Government high Schools and nearby villages of those schools of Coimbatore dist. Tamil Nadu, India. Population of the study were high school children comprised of boys and girls studying in 8^th and 9^th standard, Government high schools in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India. The data collection process was stopped as reached information redundancy. The data were analyzed by five different stages namely familiarization, identifying a thematic framework, indexing, charting, mapping and interpretation. The study results were explained by main themes derived from FGD with children, parents and in depth interview with teachers and peer group.