Effects of wound therapists' behavioral intervention on primary caregivers of high-risk populations with pressure ulcers in the community

Objective To explore the effects of wound therapists involved in health education for pressure ulcer prevention on the behavior of primary caregivers of high-risk populations with pressure ulcers in the community. Methods Totally 112 primary caregivers of high-risk populations with pressure ulcers from 2 communities near China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University were selected in September 2017 using convenient sampling, who received a 3-month health education for pressure ulcer prevention which involved wound therapists. Health Information Seeking Behavior (HISB) and Caregiver Behavior Scale (CBS) were used to evaluate the primary caregivers' initiative to learn health behaviors and their nursing behaviors for pressure ulcers at admission and 3 months post intervention. Results After 3 months, the subjects' score of HISB and CBS were higher than that before the intervention (P<0.01) . Conclusions Health education for pressure ulcer prevention which involves wound therapists helps to enhance the initiative to learn health behaviors in on the primary caregivers of high-risk populations with pressure ulcers in the community, improve their nursing behaviors for pressure ulcers, and reduce the incidence rate of pressure ulcers in high-risk populations in the community. Key words: Pressure ulcers; Caregivers; Wound therapists; Initiative to learn health behaviors; Nursing behaviors; Community nursing