Empowerment: Additive, Overlapping and Interactive Relation to Sense of Coherence, with Regard to Mental Health and its Promotion

Abstract

All individuals aged 18 years or older in seven communities in Northern Norway were surveyed (1002 complete datasets). Factor analyses confirmed that sense of coherence (SOC) and empowerment are different concepts. Within empowerment four factors are identified: community activism, power/powerless, self-determination and self-esteem. There is substantial overlapping, and items from power/powerless load on our single SOC factor. The empowerment dimensions self-esteem and power/powerless are also highly correlated, and they are both closely correlated with mental health.We find substantial overlapping in explained variance in mental health. The differences between SOC and empowerment indicate the possibility that they are independent contributors to mental health promotion but, significantly, analyses also show interaction with regard to mental health. This synergy, rather than a purely additive effect of SOC and empowerment, could be important when designing future projects promoting mental health.We hope that our results will contribute to the ongoing development of practical measurement of community empowerment.

Keywords:

• empowerment
• sense of coherence
• self-esteem
• community mental health
• factor analyses
• salutogenesis
• mental health promotion