McKeon, Lydia A (2024) The Strategies of Picture Books as a Mode of Health Communication for Young Children with Coeliac Disease. Honours thesis, University of Southern Queensland. (Unpublished)
Abstract
Coeliac disease, a chronic and lifelong health condition, is one of the most common autoimmune diseases. However, it is also one of the most under-recognised conditions, and although awareness has increased in recent years, support is especially lacking for young children and their families coping with this disease. Effective health communication is essential in educating and supporting children living with coeliac disease, as well as the families and communities supporting these children. Picture books can serve as useful educational and health promotion tools promoting adaptive coping strategies, for dealing with a potentially traumatic condition. This study aimed to fill a critical gap in the literature by examining a range of picture books (n = 9) aimed at children three to eight years of age diagnosed with coeliac disease. Reflective thematic and structural narrative analyses were applied to explore strategies and themes used in these books, and how they align with the current literature on developing coping through children’s narratives. Four themes were developed and measured against an existing model of coping narratives to find a more specific model that recognises the specific concerns of coeliac disease. This model would benefit from being utilised in clinician training as a therapeutic and health promotion intervention, for support within schools, other authors of similar books for children, and as coping methods for individuals and families to promote health literacy and support around coeliac disease. This research provided an outline of how these resources could potentially be further explored.
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| Item Type: | Thesis (Non-Research) (Honours) |
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| Item Status: | Live Archive |
| Additional Information: | Current UniSQ staff and students can request access to this thesis. Please email research.repository@unisq.edu.au with a subject line of SEAR thesis request and provide: Name of the thesis requested and Your name and UniSQ email address |
| Faculty/School / Institute/Centre: | Current – Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences - School of Psychology and Wellbeing (1 Jan 2022 -) |
| Supervisors: | Professor Mullens, Amy; Professor Gildersleeve, Jessica |
| Qualification: | Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) |
| Date Deposited: | 28 Jan 2026 01:25 |
| Last Modified: | 28 Jan 2026 01:25 |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | coeliac disease, coping, health communications, health narratives, young children |
| Fields of Research (2008): | 17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 1701 Psychology > 170106 Health, Clinical and Counselling Psychology |
| Fields of Research (2020): | 52 PSYCHOLOGY > 5203 Clinical and health psychology > 520304 Health psychology |
| URI: | https://sear.unisq.edu.au/id/eprint/53104 |
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