Conference Proceedings - School of Nursing & Midwifery - Trinity ...

School of Nursing & Midwifery, Trinity College Dublin: 8 th Annual Interdisciplinary Research Conference
Transforming Healthcare Through Research, Education & Technology: 7 th – 9 th November 2007
Conference Proceedings
� Results: Findings such as: Diabetic emergency precautions
p=.001 indicated participants were not wearing diabetic
identification. Self-care recommendations were not closely
followed: only 40% ate properly, which included snacks, 40%
did not exercise, and 66.6% of clients who tested their
glucose also recorded it and clients administering insulin on
time=33%.
� Reliability Analysis: Statistical data determined the 12-item
questionnaire had 11 items with an average standard
deviation (SD) =1.5 and 1 item with SD=2.1.
OUTCOME: The outcomes of this study suggest this population
requires a different approach to diabetes self-management. Health
care providers need to understand the older person’s perceptions of
their diabetes before prescribing how to manage diabetic protocols
that may not be followed.
The reliability analysis scale (alpha) = 0.8190 is validated by the
psychometric analysis of the Self-Care Inventory-Revised (SCI-R)
with adults scale at alpha= 0.87, as described by LaGreca, 2005.
Reliabilities may be lower in a new sample, especially if it is small.
In this study, alpha=0.819 demonstrates quality of the scale.
It is determined the SCI-R is an objective and valid predictor of
perceived adherence of diabetic self-care management among
adults. Unlike other tools which measure specific identifiable
behaviors, this tool measures the client’s perceptions. The data
from the SCI-R offers a unique insight into management of diabetes
in the older population.
Nursing Implications: Replication of this study with a larger
sample may provide more substantive data to generalize findings.
Utilization of this tool provides nurses an opportunity to measure
client’s perceptions of self-care behaviors in their diabetic regimen.
This study clearly demonstrated diabetics did not wear medical
identification, indicating a need for teaching.
References
American Diabetes Association. Facts and figures. The dangerous
toll of diabetes. www. diabetes.org/ada/facts.asp. Accessed January
2007.
American Association of Diabetes Educators. The diabetes
makeover: Reducing Barriers and Engaging Patients in Self-Care.
www.cecity.com/aade/makeover. Accessed May 2007.
Anderson, R.M., Funnel, M.M., Butler, P.M., Arnold, M.S., Fitzgerald,
J.T. Feste, C.C. (1995). Patient empowerment. Results of a
randomized controlled trial. Diabetes Care, 18, 943-949.
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