Comprehension of metaphorical explanations of illness

Medical analogies: Their role in teaching dermatology to medical professionals and patients

“…25,26 The ability to understand illness increases with age regardless of how information is given, but in some cases younger children have better understanding if an explanation is given in the form of an analogy rather than a literal fact. 27 In one study, the analogy of a garden was used to explain to children aged 6 to 15 years their new diagnosis of leukemia. 28 The human body was likened to a flower garden, where planted flowers and trees were different lines of blood cells arising from the ground or bone marrow.…”