The spouse of a patient with terminal cancer is refusing pain medication for the patient because of previous experiences with soldiers who became addicted to pain medication.A nurse will need to focus on which internal variable when approaching this situation?

A) Developmental stage
B) Family practices
C) Intellectual background
D) Spiritual factors

Intellectual background is a person's beliefs about health shaped in part by knowledge (or misinformation)about body functions and illnesses,educational background,and past experiences.Spirituality is reflected in how a person lives his or her life,including the values and beliefs exercised,the relationships established with family and friends,and the ability to find hope and meaning in life.A person's concept of illness depends on his or her developmental stage but this scenario is focused on misinformation,not the developmental stage.Family practices is an external variable,not an internal variable.