Inner strength in Salvadoran women: a secondary analysis

The purpose of this study was to utilize secondary analysis to identify the impact of challenging life events on the inner strength of women in El Salvador. The women interviewed lived in a rural area repatriated following the civil war that ended in 1992. The original ethnographic study examined health beliefs and practices of these Salvadoran women. The data were collected through face-to-face interviews over a period of one month. The experience of inner strength was evident in the original data, leading to the examination by a secondary analysis. Findings from the secondary analysis revealed the relationship between the women's descriptions of their lifeways and the six attributes of inner strength as described by Dingley, Roux, and Bush (2000). Findings provided further clarification and meaning to the concept of inner strength in women. Implications for practice resulting from this analysis facilitate understanding of behaviors affecting health and illness and provide a rich and holistic understanding of the culture in Salvadoran women.