| Learning Objective #1: Describe the dimensions of violence related attitudes and behaviors in patients admitted to trauma centers in Cape Town, South Africa | |||
| Learning Objective #2: Identify a psychometrically sound cross-cultural screening tool that identifies violence related attitudes and behaviors |
Objective: To gain an in-depth understanding of the dimensions of violence: context, circumstances, and motivations that occur in patients admitted to the hospital with firearm injuries and test the psychometric properties of the Attitudes Towards Guns and Violence Questionnaire AGVQ© (Shapiro et al., 1997).
Design: Prospective hospital-based study using survey research methods.
Sample: Cohort of patients (N= 138) admitted to Trauma Centers in Cape Town, South Africa admitted for gunshot wound(s).
Methods: Structured bedside interviews were conducted. Two instruments were interviewer administered. provided a respondent profile. The 23-item Attitudes Towards Guns and Violence Questionnaire AGVQ© (Shapiro et al., 1997) (Cronbach a =.88) was used to assess the dimensions of violence.
Findings: The respondents were predominantly male (n=118; 86%), 18-29 years (n=88; 64%), single (n=90;65%), had not completed high school and were unemployed (n=75; 54%). Twenty-five subjects (18%) reported gang membership and 33 (24%) respondents had been shot before. Less than half (n=61; 45%) of the subjects knew who shot them. The AGVQ© original four factor structure was replicated. Four scales with four items each were created. Scale reliability ranged from .71-.81. Factor 1 "Comfort with Aggression" items loaded from .69 to .82; Factor 2 "Power/Safety" items loaded from .71 to.75; Factor 3 "Aggressive Response to Shame" items loaded from .71 to.77; and Factor 4 "Excitement" items loaded from .63-.81.
Conclusions: The characteristics of respondents in this study mirror those of trauma victims in the United States. This study provides evidence that AGVQ© is psychometrically sound in a South African sample. This analysis suggests that the psychological dimensions of attitudes towards guns and violence are common across cultures
Implications: Currently, major injury is a missed opportunity to initiate violence interventions. Findings from this study can assist in the development of tertiary violence prevention programs in trauma centers internationally.
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Back to 14th International Nursing Research Congress
Sigma Theta Tau International
10-12 July 2003