Reliability and validity of the Management of Aggression and Violence Attitude Scale (MAVAS-BR) for use in Brazil

Author(s)

Divane de Vargas ^[1] ; Margarita Antônia Villar Luis ^[2] ; Janaina Soares ^[3] ; Marcos Hirata Soares ^[4]

Affiliation

^[1] University of São Paulo. School of Nursing. Mother and Child Nursing and Psychiatric Department - Brasil

^[2] USP. School of Nursing of Ribeirão Preto. Department of Psychiatric Nursing and Human Sciences - Brasil

^[3] USP. School of Nursing - Brasil

^[4] State University of Londrina. Department of Nursing - Brasil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: ARCHIVES OF CLINICAL PSYCHIATRY; v. 42, n. 6, p. 161-164, 2015-12-00.

Abstract

Abstract Background Aggression and violent behavior against health care professionals is a serious problem today and has aroused the interest of researchers and authorities. Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the reliability and validity of the Management of Aggression and Violence Attitude Scale – Brazil (MAVAS-BR) for use with Brazilian nurses. Method The MAVAS-BR was applied in a convenience sample of 262 nurses, the data were submitted to an exploratory factor analysis, and reliability was estimated using Cronbach’s alpha. Results The MAVAS-BR is composed of 23 items distributed among four factors, and the Cronbach’s alpha was σ = 0.75. Discussion The MAVAS-BR is a reliable instrument for measuring the attitudes of Brazilian nurses facing aggression and violent behavior. The scale has shown to possess validity and the recommended reliability criteria; however, additional studies using this scale should be performed to offer further evidence of its validity in the context of Brazilian nursing. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 11/17452-6 - Construct validation of the Management of Agression and Violence Attitude Scale: Brazilian version (MAVAS-BR)
• Grantee: Divane de Vargas
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants