ERIC Number: EJ731606
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2004-Mar
Pages: 17
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0145-2134
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
A Scale for Home Visiting Nurses to Identify Risks of Physical Abuse and Neglect among Mothers with Newborn Infants
Grietens, Hans; Geeraert, Liesl; Hellinckx, Walter
Child Abuse & Neglect: The International Journal, v28 n3 p321-337 Mar 2004
Objective: The aim was to construct and test the reliability (utility, internal consistency, interrater agreement) and the validity (internal validity, concurrent validity) of a scale for home visiting social nurses to identify risks of physical abuse and neglect in mothers with a newborn child. Method: A 71-item scale was constructed based on a literature review and focus group sessions with social nurses and paraprofessionals who had experience with underprivileged families. This scale was applied in a random sample of 40 home visiting social nurses, who collected data in a sample of 373 nonabusive and 18 abusive/neglectful mothers with a newborn child. Results: Items with prevalence rates below 5% and items making no significant difference between maltreating and non-maltreating mothers were omitted. The final version contained 20 items. This scale showed high internal consistency ([alpha]=0.92) and high interrater reliability (r=0.97). Exploratory factor analysis yielded a three-factor solution: Isolation (8 items, explaining 62.17% of the common variance), Psychological complexity (6 items, 18.86%), and Communication problems (6 items, 8.41%). Scores on Communication problems and Isolation significantly predicted scores on a social deprivation scale, which significantly distinguished maltreating from non-maltreating mothers. Mothers scoring high on Communication problems or Isolation obtained higher scores for social deprivation than low-scoring mothers. Conclusions: Home visiting nurses can identify risks for physical abuse and neglect among mothers with a newborn infant by focusing on signs of social isolation, distorted communication and psychological problems.
Descriptors: Home Visits, Nurses, Child Abuse, Child Neglect, Risk, Mothers, Neonates, Disadvantaged Environment, Test Reliability, Test Validity, Social Isolation, Communication Problems, Measures (Individuals), Interrater Reliability, Infant Care, Psychological Patterns
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
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Author Affiliations: N/A