Child hospitalization needs to cope with the stressors that cause anxiety and suffering. Aiming at describing the coping behaviors of hospitalized children and their relationships to age, sex and the reason for hospitalization, 148 responses of children aged 6-12 were analyzed (M = 9.5 years old) to the Coping with Hospitalization Scale, from an integrated database. The results were analyzed by descriptive and inferential statistics. Taking some medicine, talking, watching television, praying and playing were the most referred to behaviors. There was a correlation between the coping behaviors and the differences caused by the hospitalization reason. Girls tend to sing more, and demonstrated more crying, sorrow and fear than boys. There were no differences as to age, but persuasion behavior decreases in older children. We suggest that sex, hospitalization reason and age have to be considered in interventions on coping with hospitalization.
Coping; Child hospitalized; Hospitalization