Factors Predicting Intention to Attend HIV Screening Services among Pregnant Women’s Spouses

This descriptive research aimed to determine the predictive power of attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control on the intention of the spouse of pregnant women to attend HIV screening services. Two hundred and twelve spouses who accompanied their wife at antenatal care units, Hatyai Hospital and Songkla Hospital were purposively selected. The data were collected using a set of questionnaires developed from theory of planned behaviors and a literature review. It was comprised of 1) personal information, 2) attitudes about HIV screening, 3) subjective norms, 4) perceived behavioral control and 5) intention to attend HIV screening services. The questionnaires were tested for reliability, yielding Cronbach’s alpha coefficients ranging from .85 to .94. The statistics used for data analysis were frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, Pearson’s product moment correlation coefficient and stepwise multiple regression analysis. The results showed that most subjects rated their attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control and intention to attend HIV screening services at a moderate level. In addition, attitudes, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control accounted for 24 % of the variance of intention to attend HIV screening services particularly subjective norms which were the most significant factors (β = .41, b = .04, p \< .001). The findings suggested that nurses and health care providers should promote and improve counseling services for all couples who attended the antenatal care in order to assist the husbands’ decision making in utilizing the HIV voluntary testing services.

Meanings, Feeling, Motivation and Conditioning Factors of Nurses’ Practice on the Unrest Situations of the Three Southern Border Provinces

This phenomenological study aimed to describe and explain nurses, practice experiences on the unrest situation of the three southern border provinces. The informants were 11 registered nurses who had been working in the unrest situation in the three southern border provinces. The data were collected using in-depth interviews with an interview guide developed by the researcher, between December 2006 and May 2007. The data were thematically analyzed according to Polit and Hungler.The meanings of nursing practice in the unrest situation in the three border provinces were classified into four themes: 1) being dangerous life as if working in the war, 2) being paranoid to work in conflictied and uncertain situation, 3) being nurses’ responsibilities to care for the patients, 4) being proud to do challenging work. The nurses expressed their feeling of the unrest situation work in three themes: 1) being stressed, 2) being scared of unsafe situation that might cause disability or death, 3) being sad and depressed. There were three motivation and conditioning factors for nurses to continuing practice on the unrest situation: 1) committed to workplace and colleagues, 2) attachment to their hometowns, 3) difficulty in obtaining permission to move out. This study provided a deeper understanding of nurses’ experience in practicing on the unrest situations of the three southern border provinces. These findings provided basic information that was beneficial for the further studing and planning and also encouraged nurses to continue working on the unrest situations.

Development of the Thai Family Support Scale for Elderly Parents (TFSS-EP)

Family is a major resource of support for elderly Thai parents. Although international research has shown several functional aspects of family support, little is known about the functional aspects of family support in the Thai culture. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to develop an instrument for assessing family support for elderly Thai parents. Both quantitative and qualitative approaches were employed in the development and testing of the Thai Family Support Scale for Elderly Parents (TFSS-EP). Items were derived, based on a literature review and interviews with 35 elderly parents, addressing perceptions about types of family support provided by adult children. Factor and item analysis were conducted, with 500 subjects, to determine the structural domains of the instrument. Test-retest reliability of the instrument was determined among 10 elderly parents. Construct validity was determined by comparing differences in the total TFSS-EP’s score between two groups of elderly parents [those living with children (n=30) and those living in a shelter home (n=30)].  The final instrument contained 61 items that explored family support. Exploratory factor analysis revealed a 3-factor solution, which accounted for 57.03% of the total variance. Test-retest reliability was stable, between 2 times among 10 respondents over one week, indicating a high degree of stability for all TFSS items. It was noted that elderly parents, who were living with their adult child, had higher scores on the instrument, compared with those living in a shelter home. Thus, the TFSS-EP appears to be a reliable and valid instrument for measuring family support for elderly Thai parents.