THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SOCIAL SUPPORT AND ROLE STRAIN AND PREVENTATIVE HEALTH BEHAVIORS IN CRITICAL CARE NURSES

Abstract

The purpose of the research was to describe the relationships between social support and role strain and preventative health behaviors. The sample consisted of 62 critical care nurses employed in three southwest acute care facilities. Subjects completed instruments measuring social support, role strain, and four preventative health care behaviors. Pearson correlations revealed significant positive relationships between social support and personal/household roles women perform and ways women handle stress. Additional significant negative relationships existed between marital/relationship roles women perform and leisure physical activities, a subset of preventative health behaviors. The parental roles, obligations, and responsibilities women perform were also significantly related with leisure physical activities. Conclusions drawn indicate that the critical care nurses did not perceive themselves susceptible to cardiovascular disease and therefore did not participate in preventative health care activities, regardless of perceived helpful social support and an absence of role strain.