PRESSURE SORE PREVENTION SELF-EFFICACY AND OUTCOME EXPECTATIONS IN THE SPINAL CORD-INJURED: A VALIDITY AND RELIABILITY STUDY.
Contributors: Ohio State University.
Published: 1992
Number of pages: 427
Subjects: Education, Health.; Health Sciences, Nursing.
Description: The purposes of this study were to (a) develop and test a paper-and-pencil tool (known as the Pressure Sore Prevention Beliefs Scale, or PSPBS) to assess spinal cord-injured persons' (SCIPs) confidence levels (or self-efficacy) in independently performing various pressure sore prevention (PSP) behaviors and the extent to which they believed that these behaviors were necessary for maintaining healthy skin (outcome expectations); (b) determine the reliability and validity of the PSPBS; and (c) examine the relationships between subjects' scores on the PSPBS and selected demographic and clinical characteristics. Bandura's self-efficacy theory was used to guide the study design, which was both methodological and descriptive/correlational.

The PSPBS was tested with a convenience sample of 40 SCIPs from seven midwestern/Great Lakes rehabilitation facilities who were within 14 days before discharge from their initial inpatient programs. Data collection occurred between June 1990 and August 1991.

Internal consistency reliability estimates for the PSP Self-efficacy and Outcome Expectation subscales of the PSPBS were.899 and.878, respectively. Content validity as determined by a panel of rehabilitation clinical nurse specialists and eight persons with long term spinal cord injuries was found to be very satisfactory.

Subjects (on the average) tended to be less confident in their abilities to check skin with a mirror; differentiate between a normal skin response to pressure and signs of early skin damage; avoid tobacco use; and perform transfers safely. Performance on the PSP Outcome Expectation subscale of the PSPBS was significantly related to age ($r\sb\□rm S □$=.506), p $<$.05 and to marital status (phi =.373), X$\sp2$ (1, N = 40) = 5.560, p $<$.05.

Based upon its testing in this study, the Pressure Sore Prevention Beliefs Scale was judged to be a reliable, content valid, and suitable tool for assessing perceptions of PSP self-efficacy and outcome expectations with spinal cord-injured persons.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 53-05, Section: A, page: 1407.

Thesis (PH.D.)--THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY, 1992.

School code: 0168.