[Development and validation of a self-management skill scale].
OBJECTIVE
The aims of this study were: 1) to develop a scale for self-reported assessment of self-management skills (SMS), and to confirm its reliability and validity; 2) to verify its applicability to health services including health education by analyzing the relationship between the SMS score and behavioral changes among smoking cessation campaign participants.


METHODS
A 20-item preliminary SMS scale was developed based on the previous findings of Rosenbaum's self-control schedule, social skills and life skills. A 10-item final SMS scale was developed by testing internal consistency and test-retest reliability among 55 subjects who were second to fourth-year college students (mean age: 20.9) in 1997. A questionnaire, including the SMS scale, self-efficacy for quitting smoking, and smoking cessation behavior was administered to 501 smokers (mean age: 46.3) who participated in the smoking cessation campaign that began in December 1997 and ended in June 1998.


RESULTS
Among the participants of the smoking cessation campaign, the SMS scale showed a high level of internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.75) and positive correlations with age and self-efficacy for quitting smoking. The SMS scale also showed positive correlations with the outcome of the program, which means that those who had low SMS tended to drop out.


CONCLUSIONS
The findings indicate that the SMS scale has acceptable levels of reliability and validity. They also suggest that it might be a useful instrument in health education and health services because the score correlates with people's health behavior.
Takahashi
H
H
Faculty of Education, Chiba University.
Nakamura
M
M
Kinoshita
T
T
Masui
S
S
D000328:Adult; D001519:Behavior; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012648:Self Care; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012647:Self-Assessment; D016540:Smoking Cessation