Abstract

• A number of nursing researchers have used the concept of health locus of control over the past decade in Korea. This article reviewed 92 nursing research papers on health locus of control conducted since 1982, and examined type of subjects, design, measurement instruments, the scores of each di men9ion of the HLOC, and significant variables. Most of the research were correlational in design, used an 18-item 6-point score instrument and studied the relationship between HLOC, health related variables, and cognitive-emotional variables, The health related variables included health behavior, health management, preventive health behavior, compliance to treatment regimen and self care behavior. The cognitive-emotional variables included depression, anxiety, stress and self-esteem. Some consistent findings are beginning to emerge. The concept of internal HLOC was positively correlated with the health related variables. But few studies found any significant correlation between powerful others HliOC and health related variables. In the case of chance HLOC, few studies reported a significant relationship. Many of the articles reported significant relationships between internal HLOC and cognitive-emotional variables, but few reported a significant relationship between powerful others or chance HLOC and cognitive-emotional variables. All experimental studies but one found that only internal HLOC was significantly changed following experimental manipulation. When the different groups of subjects such as normal persons, chronic patients, acute patients were compared in terms of mean scores, it was found that the HLOC appeared to change depending on the status of the patients. Recommendations for future research include modification of the instrument to increase the reliability and validity, study about the pattern of response suggested by Wallston and Wallston(1982) and further experimental study on changing the belief of subjects to internal HLOC.

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