Description

Background:
This scale can be used to assess parental health locus of control regarding their children’s health. The scale was originally developed as the Children’s Health Locus of Control measure (Parcel et al., 1978), and modified by Tinsley and Holtgrave (1989) to become the Parental Health Locus of Control Scale. Pachter et al. (2000) developed and described subscales and tested the instrument in a U.S. Puerto Rican community. Other subscales have been developed in Parcel et al., 1978, and further developed by Tinsley and Holtgrave. The scale appears here as described in Pachter et al.

The subscales are:
External/luck – Items 1, 2, 3, 6, 9
Internal – Items 7, 11, 16, 20
External/others – Items 13, 17, 19
External/professionals – 12, 14, & 18.

.Developers:
Guy S. Parcel and Michael P. Meyer

Copyright:
Published in Health Education Monographs

References:
Pachter, L.M., Sheehan, J., & Cloutier, M.M. (2000). Factor and subscale structure of a parental health locus of control instrument (Parental Health Beliefs Scales) for use in a mainland United States Puerto Rican community. Social Science & Medicine, 50, 715-721.

Tinsley, B.J., and Holtgrave, D.R. (1989). Maternal health locus of control beliefs, utilization of childhood preventive health services, and infant health. Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, 10, 236.

Parcel, G.S., Meyers, M.P. (1978). Development of an instrument to measure children’s health locus of control. Health Education Monographs, 6, 149-159.

Reliability:
Children’s Health Locus of Control:
Internal consistency: Kuder-Richardson coefficient = 0.72, 0.75 (two administrations) (Parcel and Meyer, 1978)
Health Locus of Control (Parent/Child):
Internal consistency: Cronbach alpha = 0.72 (entire scale) (Pachter et al., 2000)
Maternal Health Beliefs:
Test-retest reliability = 0.96 (Tinsley et al., 1989)

Protective:
Parenting
Coping
Population:
Adolescent
Adult