| Child abuse is an international problem seriously threatening the health and welfare of children. Nurses are in an ideal situation to help address this problem by identifying cases of child abuse and intervening appropriately. There is a dearth of literature on child abuse and related nursing roles in Taiwan. The purposes of this study were (1) to identify factors associated with nurses' intention to report child abuse in emergency rooms, psychiatric units, and pediatric units in Taiwan, and (2) to determine the empirical adequacy of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to explain nurses' intended reporting behaviors of child abuse.; Ajzen's TPB provided the theoretical framework to study nurses' intended reporting child abuse behaviors. This cross-sectional, and correlational study was conducted in three phases. Phase one was a qualitative study interviewing eighteen Taiwanese nurses regarding their experiences working with abused children and their families. Phase two was development and validation of the Child Abuse Report Intention Scale. Phase three was a national survey of Taiwanese nurses.; A stratified quota sampling technique was used to select registered nurses from pediatric, psychiatric, and emergency units in four geographic regions in Taiwan. A total of 1419 subjects were recruited representing a return rate of 88%. Structural equation modeling technique was used to test models.; Nurses who approved less of child discipline, who chose more punishment for the abuser, and who had more positive attitudes toward professional responsibility for reporting were more likely to report child abuse. Nurses who were more knowledgeable about child abuse and reporting law, who believed that important others supported their report, and who perceived more control over reporting were more likely to report child abuse.; Results supported the TPB. Attitudes, knowledge, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control were significant predictors of intended reporting behaviors. Knowledge was found to be a significant predictor of intended reporting behaviors in the vignette models. These findings provide a substantive base for understanding the phenomenon and add cross-culturally to the scientific body of knowledge concerning this universal health problem. Based on this knowledge, educational programs can be developed and implemented for Taiwanese nurses. |
