Illness in the Chronic Disease Family

Abstract

The report presents the illness experience during a 12-month period by the members of 381 families selected because of a case of chronic disease from a total sample composed of 1,757 families living in the Eastern Health District of Baltimore. Members of families selected on the basis of a case of chronic disease had a higher rate of illness than the remaining population; this was true for both chronic disease patients and for other members of the family. A consideration of factors of the social environment, such as occupational class of the household head and the amt. of medical care in relation to the amt. of illness aside from chronic disease revealed no striking differences between the 2 groups of families. The influence of diet upon morbidity must be carefully appraised before an excess of illness in certain family units can be considered as proof of inheritance of a constitution of less vigor and vitality.