The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #41068

Lori Settersten, PhD, RN, NP, C, BC and Genee Brukwitzki, MS, RN. School of Nursing, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, P.O. Box 413, Milwaukee, WI 53201, 414-229-5461, lorisett@uwm.edu

Critical thinking skills are used daily by adults for practical life decisions in work as well as leisure activities. Critical thinking involves the use of cognitive skills which include recognizing that an issue exists, analyzing and evaluating information related to the issue, considering alternatives, and drawing conclusions as well as explaining rationale for the conclusions. However, critical thinking rarely has been studied among community-dwelling adults. Because interventions to promote critical thinking among students have been effective overall, interventions to promote critical thinking among community-dwelling adults could be designed and tested to promote more effective, positive practical life decisions. The aims of this study are to: 1) examine critical thinking skills among community-dwelling adults, and 2) examine whether these critical thinking skills differ by perceived health status, gender, age, and educational level. A sample of 200 community-dwelling adults aged 18 and over will be recruited from non-health related groups or organizations in a large, midwestern, metropolitan community. Participants will complete self-report questionnaires, including the Test of Everyday Reasoning (Facione, 1991). Critical thinking total and mean scores will be computed. Bivariate correlations and t-tests will be conducted. Understanding critical thinking among community-dwelling adults could help researchers design more effective educational interventions to promote decisions to participate in health behaviors.

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