2001/01/01 by Boo Johansson, Julia D. Grant, Robert Plomin +4 · 3 citations
Social Sciences · Health Professions · Medicine · Psychology · #Health disparities and outcomes #Health and Wellbeing Research #Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet #Locus of control #Twin study #Psychology #Gerontology #Environmental health #Developmental psychology #Demography #Heritability #Medicine #Genetics #Biology #Sociology
paper · doi:10.1037/0278-6133.20.1.33
openalex publication_date 2001/01/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
The factor structure of health locus of control (Form A; K. A. Wallston, B. S. Wallston, & R. DeVellis, 1978) was examined in 420 octogenarians (M age = 83.2 years), and the contributions of genetic and environmental factors to health-control beliefs in 141 octogenarian twin pairs (71 identical, 70 same-sex fraternal) were estimated. Factor analyses reproduced previously proposed factors (Internal, Chance, and Powerful Others). Associations between health-control beliefs and life satisfaction, depression, and other health-related measures (e.g., self-rated health, outpatient contacts, and hospitalization), were modest. Quantitative genetic analyses revealed significant shared environmental influence on the Chance subscale, and significant familiality (attributable to a combination of genetic and shared environmental influences) on the Powerful Others subscale; there was no evidence of familiality on the Internal subscale.