Perception of precocious puberty among school-aged children in South Korea with the experience of treatment for precocious puberty: a Q methodological approach

PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the perceptions of precocious puberty and elucidate the distinct characteristics of each type of perception related to precocious puberty among school-aged children who had undergone treatment for the condition. METHODS: This study applied the Q methodology to identify and classify the perceptions of precocious puberty among school-aged children who had undergone treatment for the condition. The analysis involved 34 questions from the Q sample and data from 35 individuals in the P sample, using the PC-QUANL Program for analysis. RESULTS: The perceptions of precocious puberty among school-aged children who had undergone precocious puberty treatment were classified into the following four types: "shyness - passive self-management," "resentment - suppression," "anxiety - fear," and "adaptation - acceptance." CONCLUSION: This study investigated the experiences and perceptions of children who have undergone treatment for precocious puberty. Through the identification of four types of perceptions, we can see that there is a need to develop an intervention program for nursing that is tailored to the specific type of precocious puberty.