Perceptions of self‐care in East Germany: a cross‐cultural empirical investigation

Abstract

The purpose of this empirical investigation was replication for comparing self-care phenomena in a cross-cultural setting. Two self-reporting inventories were employed to measure perceptual dimensions of self-care agency and self-concept. Both inventories were translated into German and administered to a convenience sample of 17 adults living in an agricultural collective in East Germany. One research concern was the usability of American-constructed nursing assessment tools in another culture. Other research questions for cross-cultural comparisons of means were formulated. Self-care and self-concept were related in the East German sample. Self-care agency means for the East German sample were lower than for an American student sample. Study limitations are identified and cross-cultural implications of the findings for nursing are discussed.

Systematic review of measurement properties of self‐reported instruments for evaluating self‐care in adults

“…,b, Söderhamn & Cliffordson ); Denyes Self‐Care Practice Instrument (DSCPI‐90) (Andrews et al . ); Denyes Self‐Care Agency Instrument (DSCAI) (McBride ); Exercise of Self‐Care Agency (ESCA) (Kearney & Fleischer , McBride , , Whetstone , Whetstone & Hansson , Yamashita , Wang & Laffrey ); Lorensen's Self‐care Capability Scale (LSCS) (Lorensen , Dale et al . ); Perceived Self‐Care Agency Questionnaire (PSCAQ) (Weaver , Bottorff , McBride ); Self‐care Ability Scale for the Elderly (SASE) (Söderhamn et al .…”

“…The structural validity was assessed through PCA, obtaining a negative rating in Yamashita () due to an explained variance less than 70% and an indeterminate rating in Whetstone and Hansson () because of an unreported variance and through EFA in McBride () with a negative rating due to a variance less than 50%. The ESCA showed correlations greater than 0·50 with the Self‐Concept Instrument (Whetstone ), the Self‐Directed Learning Readiness Scale (McBride ) and the Personal Resources Questionnaire (Wang & Laffrey ), obtaining positive ratings; less than 75% of the hypothesized correlations with the Adjective Check List subscales and the Locus of Control Scale were confirmed, attaining a negative rating (Kearney & Fleischer ).…”

Home-based health promotion for chronically ill older persons: results of a randomized controlled trial of a critical reflection approach

“…Scores for each of the 43 items range from 0 to 4, with the total score ranging from 0 to 172. The measure has reported test-retest reliability of 0.62 and validity (Cronbach's alpha = 0.67-0.70) in a study of pre-discharge patients over 65 years of age in geriatric rehabilitation settings (Whetstone, 1987;van Achterberg et al, 1991).…”

Theories of self‐care: their relevance to chemotherapy‐induced nausea and vomiting

“…Little IS known about the range of lay reachons to illness and forces which may shape these reactions There is a need to chart the dimensions of self-eare, and obtam information and msight mto existmg self-eare practices The essential eondihons to meet self-eare needs and ability to imhate and persevere m the self-eare proeess have been stated by Orem (1985) as 1 essential knowledge, skills and responsibihty for healtb eare needs, 2 suffiaent mohvation and energy to begm and contmue until the desired results are obtained, 3 plaemg a high value on health, 4 pereeption that new health behaviour wiU reduee vulnerability to illness MeCorkle (1983) supports the view that knowledge about one's state of bealth is a prerequisite for prachsmg self-care Rhodes et al (1986) suggest that anxiety at some levels may motivate self-eare Loeus of eontrol has been cksenbed as an important vanable (Keamey & Fleiseher 1979) but the researeh evidence is undear as to the exact relationship to self-care (Harper 1984, Dodd 1986,1987 Self-care ageney, 'the power of the individual to engage m estimahve and produehve operahons essential for self eare' (Orem 1971), has been explored by a number of wnters and a vanety of measurement tools developed to a lesser or greater degree (Hanson & Bickel 1985, Denyes 1982, Keamey & Fleisdier 1979, McBnde 1987, Riesch & Haueh 1988, Evers et al 1986 The performanee of selfeare has been postulated to depend upon adequate self-eare ageney, capability to respond to motivational cues and possessmg a readmess to act Its measurement m the cancer patient population has not been explored Self-concept is another phenomenon assoaated with self-care (Whetstone & Hanson 1989) but few pubhsbed studies exist outlmmg the relationships between the two concepts Keamey & Fleiseher (1979) found that a posihve relationship existed between self-care abihty and positive self-esteem, and Wbetstone (1987), as part of a crosseultural study, found that self-eare agoicy scores were posihvely related to overall self-concept scores Self-care agency is a constmct possessing great ccanplexity and much research energy is at present directed at unravelluî ts compcHients and relahonship with mulhple factors.…”