MAIEUTIC DIMENSIONS OF SELF-CARE AGENCY: INSTRUMENT DEVELOPMENT (HEALTH CARE).
Contributors: Wayne State University.
Published: 1995
Number of pages: 275
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.; Psychology, Psychometrics.; Health Sciences, Mental Health.
Description: The purpose of this study was to construct and validate an instrument designed to measure selected capabilities and dispositions foundational to self-care agency, conceptualized as the "Maieutic Dimensions of Self-Care Agency." Descriptive, correlational, methods were used within a longitudinal design, with data collected at two time points, 4 weeks apart. The instrument, known as the "Maieutic Dimensions of Self-Care Agency Scale" (MDSCAS) was designed within Orem's General Theory of Nursing as a nursing sensitive outcome measure for use in educative and supportive nursing systems in which the outcome of interest is enhancement of the self-care capabilities of adults.

Evidence of the instrument's reliability and validity in a sample of 616 adults who receive health care from nurse practitioners is reported. Evidence for construct validity was examined using factor structure and theoretical modelling approaches. Relationships among the Maieutic Dimensions of Self-Care Agency, the Power to Perform the Productive Operations of Self-Care Agency as measured by the Appraisal of Self-Care Agency Scale (ASA-A) and the Basic Conditioning Factors of age, gender, developmental level and health state are reported. Both internal consistency reliability and short-term stability were achieved for the new instrument. Factor structure was confirmed as posited for the major dimensions and subscales of the MDSCAS-S.

The sample consisted predominantly of African-Americans and European-Americans, with 10% of the sample reporting Asian-American/Pacific Islander as their ethnic background. The sample was well-educated and professionally employed with a median age of 39 years. In order to provide some normative measurements for the major study variables, descriptive statistics categorized by age, gender, and health state are provided for the two dimensions of self-care agency and global well-being.

Particular attention was devoted to exploring implications of the study for directing further inquiry into enhancing the self-care capabilities of adults.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 56-05, Section: B, page: 2563.

Thesis (PH.D.)--WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY, 1995.

School code: 0254.