Pressure sore prevention self-efficacy and outcome expectations in the spinal cord-injured: A validity and reliability study

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 (;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.