Health locus of control, perception of risk, and risk-taking behavior in older adolescents

Date

2000-08

Authors

Hodgson, Carol J. Roseberry

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Abstract

This study examined the relationships among the three dimensions of health locus of control, perception of risk, and risk-taking behavior in older adolescents. Additionally, the study tested a conceptual model of intrapersonal factors that affect risk-taking behavior in older adolescents.

A non-random sample of 227 students, age 18 to 21 years, who were enrolled in a course in the Social Science Division of a community college in rural northeast Texas, completed a packet of research instruments. The packet contained Form A of the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale (Wallston, Wallston, & DeVellis, 1978), the Perception of Risk Subscale of Busen's (1990) Adolescent Risk-Taking Instrument, and a revised version of the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1997).

The sample was somewhat homogenous, with a mean age of 19.25 years. Most (82.8%) were White, non-Hispanic; 14.5% were Black. The others (2.7%) were either Hispanic, American Indian, or Alaskan. Females were most represented, with 155 females (68.3%) versus 72 (31.7%) males.

The four hypotheses were tested using the Pearson product moment correlation. Findings indicated a negative, nonsignificant correlation (r = −.017, p > .05) between internal health locus of control and perception of risk; a positive, significant correlation (r = .217, p < .01) between chance health locus of control and perception of risk; a negative nonsignificant correlation (r = −.051, p > .05) between powerful others health locus of control and perception of risk; and a moderate, positive, significant correlation (r = .517, p < .01) between perception of risk and risk-taking behavior. Thus, while Hypotheses 1 and 3 were not supported, Hypotheses 2 and 4 were supported by the findings.

Path analysis methodology was used to test the model of intrapersonal factors that affect risk-taking behavior in older adolescents. In the final model, the independent variables are chance health locus of control, powerful others health locus of control, and perception of risk. Significant standardized Beta weights (p < .001) indicate an indirect path from chance health locus of control through perception of risk to risk-taking behavior. The significant direct paths are from perception of risk to risk-taking behavior (p < .001) and from powerful others health locus of control to risk-taking behavior (p < .05), with perception of risk explaining the greatest amount (27%) of the variance in risk-taking behavior in the sample. The total variance explained by the model was 29%. Thus, the model was partially supported by the findings.

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Keywords

Nursing, Public health, Psychology, Perceptions, Teenagers, Health risk assessment, Health and environmental sciences, Adolescents, Alcohol use, Risk-taking, Sexual behavior, Tobacco use

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