Peer-reviewed article
Development and Validation of a Negative Emotions Scale for Public Health Nurses Engaged in Child Abuse Prevention Activities.
Yokobori H, Honda C, Matsumoto H, Maeda-Suzuki A, Yoshioka-Maeda K ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study develops and validates a measurement scale to assess negative emotions experienced by public health nurses working in child abuse prevention in Japan. The scale has 15 items measuring two types of negative emotions: toward aggressive/emotional parental attitudes and toward rejecting/uncooperative attitudes. The research confirms the scale is reliable and valid through statistical testing with 549 nurses.
Key points
- The scale was reduced to 15 items across two factors through item analysis and exploratory factor analysis
- Confirmatory factor analysis showed good model fit and high Cronbach's alpha indicating reliability
- Scale scores correlated positively with pre-existing scales, negative attitudes, and parental behaviours
- Public health nurses were involved in generating items for the scale
- The scale can be used to assess support systems and psychological well-being of nurses in child abuse prevention
Limitations
This document describes only the development and validation of a measurement tool; it does not evaluate the effectiveness of any child abuse prevention intervention or measure child well-being outcomes. The scale measures nurse experiences rather than impacts on children.
Abstract
Aims To assess the reliability and validity of a negative emotion scale for public health nurses conducting child abuse prevention activities. Design A four-phase mixed method design. Methods Participants were public health nurses with experience in child abuse prevention across Japan. The initial scale was developed and refined based on previous studies, expert panel reviews, interviews with public health nurses, and a questionnaire-based pilot study. In 2024, 549 public health nurses completed a questionnaire on scale items. Item analysis, exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, comparisons with a preexisting scale, the number of times negative attitudes and the types of behaviours exhibited by parents were used to narrow the scale and assess its psychometric properties. Results Item analysis and exploratory factor analysis reduced the scale to 15 items on two factors: 'negative emotions toward aggressive and emotional attitudes' and 'negative emotions toward rejecting and uncooperative attitudes.' Confirmatory factor analysis indicated a good model fit. The Cronbach's alpha was high, and the negative emotions scale score positively correlated with the pre-existing scale, negative attitudes and parental behaviours. Conclusions The Cronbach's alpha coefficient and other factors confirmed the scale's reliability, and correlations with other scales confirmed its validity. Implications for the profession Evaluating negative emotions provides critical insights into the quality of support and its influence on psychological well-being. Impact By assessing negative emotions that public health nurses find difficult using this scale, the support system for them can be examined. Reporting methods STROBE checklist for cross-sectional studies was followed. Patient or public contribution Public health nurses were involved in the generation of items for the scale. Their perspective was sought in determining the items for the scale. Trial and protocol registration Registered in the UMIIN Clinical Trial Registry (UMIN-CTR ID UMIN000054650).