Cai, Dan, Teresa E. Stone, Marcia A. Petrini, & Margaret McMillan (2016, March). An exploration of the health beliefs of Chinese nurses’ and nurse academics’ health beliefs: A Q-methodology study. Nursing and Health Sciences, 18(1), 97-104. (Appearing in a special issue on “Qualitative Research”.) (Link: https://doi.org/10.1111/nhs.12251)
Abstract: Q-methodology was used to investigate the health beliefs of Chinese clinical nurses and nurse academics. Twenty-eight participants from one hospital and nursing school in China were involved. The four stages of this study included: (i) concourse development from literature review, Internet searches, and key informant interviews; (ii) A pilot study to develop the Q-sample from the concourse; (iii) participants sorted the Q-sample statements along a continuum of preference (Q-sorting); and (iv) PQ data analysis using principal component analysis and varimax rotation. Five viewpoints were revealed: (i) factor 1 – health management and the importance of evidence; (ii) factor 2 – challenging local cultural belief, and Eastern and Western influences; (iii) factor 3 – commonsense; (iv) factor 4 – health and clinical practice; and (v) factor 5 – health and nursing education. This study presents a need for nurses and nurse academics to think critically, examine their long-held health beliefs, and promote the use of evidence-based practice.
Teresa E Stone <teriston@yamaguchi-u.ac.jp> is a member of the Faculty of Health Sciences, Yamaguchi University, Ube, Japan.
