Abstract
An emerging view in the literature regarding health locus of control (HLC) and health behavior suggests that HLC beliefs might affect behavior only through the interaction of HLC with other health-related expectancies. We examined internal and powerful others HLC beliefs as moderators of the relationship between a recently developed measure of “perceived health competence” and medical regimen adherence in 81 renal dialysis patients. The hypothesized interaction was significant, suggesting a moderating role for HLC. The pattern of the interaction differed from prediction. Greater perceived health competence was associated with more favorable adherence only for those patients scoring low on internal and high on powerful others HLC. This pattern suggests that a high degree of perceived competence is advantageous for those patients with predominant confidence in the actions of their health-care providers.
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This work was supported in part by National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases grant 1R29 DK49129-01 awarded to Alan Christensen.
We would like to thank the staff and patients of the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics and Covenant Medical Center Renal Dialysis Programs. We especially acknowledge the assistance of Carl Richards, George Sadewasser, Lisa Nelson, and Dana Wedeking.
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Christensen, A.J., Wiebe, J.S., Benotsch, E.G. et al. Perceived health competence, health locus of control, and patient adherence in renal dialysis. Cogn Ther Res 20, 411–421 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02228042
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02228042