Assisting women to learn myocardial infarction symptoms.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to test how teaching format (factual versus storytelling) and restructuring the social norm of caring for others to caring for self affects how women learn to identify and respond to myocardial infarction (MI) symptoms.


METHODS
The study was a randomized pretest posttest full factorial experiment.


METHODS
One hundred and thirteen women participated.


METHODS
Before and after reading the intervention pamphlet, the women wrote all the MI symptoms that they knew and rated their intention to call 911 if symptoms occurred.


METHODS
The women read one of the four MI pamphlets corresponding to the four conditions.


RESULTS
No significant effects for learning MI symptoms resulted from teaching format or social norms. Women learned three additional MI symptoms. All responded with high intention to call 911 if MI symptoms occurred.


CONCLUSIONS
Women can learn additional MI symptoms from reading a brief pamphlet about MI symptoms. Use of a storytelling format and the social norm of caring for self might not impact how many MI symptoms women learn. Studies using audiovisuals and larger samples are needed to clarify whether storytelling format and the social norm of caring for self-impact learning MI symptoms.
McDonald
Deborah Dillon
DD
University of Connecticut School of Nursing, Storrs, Connecticut 06269-2026, USA. Deborah.mcdonald@uconn.edu
Goncalves
Patricia Herrera
PH
Almario
Vivian E
VE
Krajewski
Aleksandra L
AL
Cervera
Patricia L
PL
Kaeser
Donna M
DM
Lillvik
Cherylynn A
CA
Sajkowicz
Tammy L
TL
Moose
Priscilla E
PE