Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the characteristics of the independence of activities in daily life of young children who need bowel management or urological care by comparing with those of healthy young children, and to examine the deternimant factors of their independence in toileting. The subjects were 58 mothers of young children who need bowel management or urological care because of congenital disease, and 107 mothers of healthy young children. Results were as follows: 1) There are significant differences between the independence in toileting of children who need bowel management or urological care compared to healthy children. However, it is not clear what the differences are of the independence in other daily life activities including eating, dressing and undressing and hygiene between the two groups. 2) The accomplishment rates related to the independence of toileting in children who need intermittent catheterization were lower than those of children who don't need this care. 3) There were signiificant relationships between the regularity of defecation in children who need bowel management or urological care and their independence of toileting. 4) There were significant relationships between the regularity of defecation in children who need bowel management or urological care and the daily care which was performed by their families to adjust the regularity of daily life and appropriate meals for them.