In this study, we assume that illness has a meaning during childhood, and that children are capable of speaking about it. Our objective is to unveil their representations concerning disease, medical treatment, hospitalization, and health personnel. This study was carried out in three pediatric hospitals in the city of Rio de Janeiro during the month of July 1990. Fifteen hospitalized children from five to eleven years of age were interviewed and asked to talk about the questions described above. The methodological approach was qualitative, in accordance with Bardin (1977) and Minayo (1988). In speaking about their illnesses, the children refer to medical practice, contemporary family arrangements, and themselves as players or subjects.
Hospitalization; Psychosocial Aspects; Pediatric Care; Child's Play