Citation

Shani E, Ayalon A, Hammad IA, Sikron F. Health Promot. Int. 2003; 18(4): 361-371.

Affiliation

The Center for Research and Development of Advanced Services in Plastic Surgery, The Faculty of Health Science, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel. geshani@netvision.net.il

Copyright

(Copyright © 2003, Oxford University Press)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

14695367

Abstract

Burns are associated with longer hospital stay,

permanent disfigurement and emotional stress disorders, and represent a health

problem, especially among economically and socially deprived populations, such

as the Bedouin population in Israel, hence the importance of intervention

programmes. The objective of this research was to examine the extent to which

the effect of a visual one-session burn prevention programme was determined by

the type of medium used. We also examined the possibility that fear motivates

action only when someone feels confident in his/her ability to control the

threat. Data were based on the pre-/post-programme self-report questionnaires

administered to a randomly selected three-group sample of 12- to 13-year-old

Bedouin children (n=179). All three sessions were identical, but differed in the

type of medium used: slides (S), video (V), or slides and video consecutively (S

+ V). We measured health beliefs (perceived threat, internal/external control,

self-efficacy) and sense of coherence (SOC), both before and 2 months after

completion of the intervention. We also measured post-programme fear reaction

and the improvement in burn-related knowledge, understanding and safety

behaviour as the outcome measure. No significant post-programme differences

between intervention groups were found, either in terms of outcome measure or in

terms of health beliefs and SOC. However, within- person analysis indicated that

the S group participants had the highest level of post-exposure fear and a

decrease in luck control over injuries. The S + V group demonstrated the lowest

within change. The hierarchical regression analysis revealed that self-efficacy,

fear, higher socio-economic status and female gender predicted improvement. As

hypothesized, the interaction between fear and self-efficacy added significantly

to prediction. It seems that health beliefs and demographic characteristics were

more powerful in predicting the effect of the intervention than the choice of

medium per se. A multifaceted approach and more comprehensive interventions are

needed in order to promote health among disadvantaged

populations.