Paper
Thursday, 20 July 2006
This presentation is part of : Interventions for Women's Health Issues
An Intervention to Increase Self-Efficacy and the Implementation of Health Promotion Behaviors and Decrease Depression Among Women who have Experienced Intimate Partner Abuse
Marylou N. Yam, PhD, RN and Denise M. Tate, EdD, RN. Department of Nursing, Saint Peter's College, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, USA
Learning Objective #1: relate the effects of an intervention on battered women's level of self-efficacy and depression as well as on their ability to implement health promotion behaviors.
Learning Objective #2: decribe how to develop and test a theory based nursing intervention.
There is an abundance of literature documenting the physical and psychological problems experienced by women as a result of living in a violent relationship (Campbell, 2002). One factor which may mediate the impact of abuse is the woman’s personal strengths, namely, self-efficacy (Dutton, l992). The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a self-efficacy enhancement intervention on perception of self-efficacy, symptoms of depression and perceived ability to implement health promotion behaviors among women who have experienced intimate partner abuse.

Bandura’s (l977) self-efficacy theory was used to guide this study and to develop the intervention. A quasi experimental, pre/post test design was utilized. The intervention consisted of topics related to: Safety Planning/Cycle of Violence, Accessing Services, Nutrition, Assertive Communication, Exercise/Rest/Sleep and Stress Management. A convenience sample of (N=66) women was obtained.

Outcome variables were self-efficacy, measured by the Self-Efficacy Scale (Sherer and Adams, l983) self perceived ability to implement health promotion behavior, measured by the Abilities for Health Practices Scale (Becker, Stuifbergen, Oh & Hall, l993) and, depression, measured by the Beck Depression Inventory (Beck, l970).  A questionnaire, which included the Management of Safety Self-Efficacy Tool (Yam, 2005) was used to evaluate the intervention.

Analysis of variance showed no significant difference in the post-test self-efficacy scores between the experimental group and control group (p>.05).  However, significant differences were found between the experimental and control group in the post-test scores on perceived ability to implement health promotion behaviors (p= .001); and in symptoms of depression (p<.05). The research findings demonstrated support for the use of a self-efficacy enhancement intervention to alleviate the symptoms of depression and to increase health promotion behaviors among women who have been abused.

See more of Interventions for Women's Health Issues
See more of The 17th International Nursing Research Congress Focusing on Evidence-Based Practice (19-22 July 2006)