Effectiveness of a nursing intervention based on Dorothea Orem's model for self-care in the face of preconception risk in nursing students

Abstract

Introduction: Self-care regarding preconception risk constitutes an essential competency in nursing education; however, structured educational interventions for undergraduate students remain scarce.

Objective: To evaluate changes in knowledge and self-care behaviors regarding preconception risk associated with a nursing intervention based on Dorothea Orem's model among first-year nursing students.

Methods: Quasi-experimental, longitudinal, repeated-measures (pretest-postest) study conducted at Guantánamo Faculty of Medical Sciences, Cuba, during 2019-2022. Fifty first-semester students were selected through intentional sampling. The intervention comprised 10 educational sessions (44 total hours, semi-presential modality). A validated questionnaire (Cronbach's Alpha >0.7) was administered at pretest and postest (six months later). Analysis included descriptive and inferential statistics (Wilcoxon test, McNemar test, p<0.05).

Results: Forty-seven students completed the study (94.00% retention). Significant improvements occurred in all three dimensions: biological and nutritional knowledge (adequate: 6.40% to 91.40%, p<0.001), hygiene and lifestyle (19.10% to 66.00%, p<0.001), and environmental and social factors (8.50% to 78.70%, p<0.001). Risk behaviors showed significant reductions: unprotected sexual intercourse (91.50% to 6.40%, p<0.001), alcohol consumption (63.80% to 10.60%, p<0.001), and sharing personal items (78.70% to 8.50%, p<0.001).

Conclusion: The intervention was associated with significant improvements in knowledge and self-care behaviors. However, the design without a control group limits causal attribution, constituting preliminary evidence requiring confirmation through controlled trials.