Content validity of the nursing diagnosis low self-efficacy in health

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to verify the validity of the content of the proposal for the nursing diagnosis of low self-efficacy in health.

Methods

Content validation study using the approach proposed by Lopes, a panel of 47 experts on the phenomenon of interest analyzed the content of the diagnosis using a Likert-type scale to evaluate the relevance of 16 clinical indicators and 18 etiological factors of the nursing diagnosis under investigation. These components were previously identified and defined through a middle-range theory. Based on the predictive diversity model, the experts’ verifications were weighted according to their level of expertise. The pseudomedian and 95% confidence intervals were calculated. A content validity index above 0.9 was considered valid, and the Wilcoxon test was used to validate each pseudomedian with a p-value above 0.05.

Findings

Thirteen clinical indicators were considered relevant, demonstrating the importance of these elements for the clinical identification of low self-efficacy in health. Three clinical indicators were excluded because they were not representative for this diagnosis. The eighteen etiological factors analyzed were considered relevant.

Conclusion

The findings of the present study may help nurses to identify low self-efficacy in health early and direct effective interventions to increase people's confidence in their abilities to promote their health.

Implications for nursing practice

A new diagnostic framework is presented with peer-reviewed content, representing a phenomenon frequently reported by clinicians. This new diagnosis can guide nursing care and produce better health outcomes that depend on patients’ confidence in their ability to take care of their own health.