IADR Abstract Archives

Experiencing Stigma: Multisite Study of Adolescents/Mothers with Facial Differences

Objectives: To profile the stigma experiences of adolescents with congenital and acquired facial differences. Stigma is the negative attributions others make about one's character, identity, intelligence, and other attributes based upon a non-visible or visible ‘mark' that distinguishes the person as different from others.

Methods: Used baseline cross-sectional stigma-related responses from a 4 site (Seattle WA, Galveston, TX, Chicago IL and Chapel Hill NC) study enrolling 185 English speaking, US participants ages 11-16 years old with facial differences (60% male; 80% congenital conditions). Closed-ended, self-administered questions determined perceptions of stigmatization. Mothers (n=153) were independently asked 8 matching questions.

Results: Frequencies group responses of “sometimes,” “fairly often,” and “very often.” Mother's report responses are in parentheses. 23% (24%) were made to feel unwelcome by peers in past month. 35% (47%) noticed people staring at their face in the past week. 28% (43%) talked with others about how their face looks in the past month. 29% (31%) heard others say something about their face in the past month. 32% (32%) told peers about their facial difference in the past month. 12% (12%) felt left out of doing things with peers because of how their face looks in the past month. 11% (8%) got into a fight because of how their face looks in the past month. 20% (18%) teased about how their face looks in the past month.

Conclusions: Stigma experiences were reported by as many as 35% of youth with a facial difference and were concordant with independent parental report. This level of stigma suggests that media and public health interventions may be warranted to reduce discrimination, prejudice and negative adolescent social experiences related to facial differences. Research supported by NIDCR grant RO1 DE13546.


AADR/CADR Annual Meeting
2006 AADR/CADR Annual Meeting (Orlando, Florida)
Orlando, Florida
2006
10
Behavioral Sciences/Health Services Research
  • Strauss, Ronald  ( University of North Carolina -, Chapel Hill, NC, USA )
  • Ramsey, Barry  ( University of North Carolina -, Chapel Hill, NC, USA )
  • Patrick, Donald  ( University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA )
  • Edwards, Todd  ( University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA )
  • Topolski, Tari  ( University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA )
  • Kapp-simon, Kathy  ( Northwestern University, Westchester, IL, USA )
  • Thomas, Christopher  ( University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA )
  • Fenson, Carla  ( University of North Carolina -, Chapel Hill, NC, USA )
    • Oral Session
    Access to Care / Utilization of Services
    03/08/2006