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Higher medical morbidity burden is associated with external locus of control.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Henninger, DE; Whitson, HE; Cohen, HJ; Ariely, D
Published in: J Am Geriatr Soc
April 2012

OBJECTIVES: To describe the association between an increasing number of coexisting conditions and locus of control (LOC), a psychological construct reflecting the degree to which one perceives circumstances to be controlled by personal actions (internal LOC) versus outside factors (external LOC) in older adults. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study using survey data from the North Carolina Established Population for Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly (NC EPESE) data set. SETTING: Community. PARTICIPANTS: Three thousand two hundred twelve community-dwelling adults aged 68 and older. MEASUREMENTS: Nine common medical conditions were assessed according to self-report. LOC was measured using a standard questionnaire. Analyses were adjusted for demographics, functional status (self-reported activities of daily living), cognition (Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire), and depression score (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale). RESULTS: A higher number of chronic conditions was associated with external LOC (β = 0.37, P < .001). This relationship persisted after adjustment for age, race, sex, functional status, cognition, and depression (β = 0.17, P < .001). Most individual conditions were not associated with LOC, although vision impairment (P < .001) and arthritis (P = .02) were associated with more-internal LOC. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that medically complex patients tend to exhibit a more-external LOC, meaning that they perceive little personal control over circumstances and environment. Clinicians should be aware of this tendency, because external LOC may impede an older adult's willingness to engage in the considerable task of managing multiple chronic conditions.

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Published In

J Am Geriatr Soc

DOI

EISSN

1532-5415

Publication Date

April 2012

Volume

60

Issue

4

Start / End Page

751 / 755

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Retrospective Studies
  • North Carolina
  • Morbidity
  • Male
  • Internal-External Control
  • Humans
  • Geriatrics
  • Female
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Chronic Disease
 

Citation

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Henninger, D. E., Whitson, H. E., Cohen, H. J., & Ariely, D. (2012). Higher medical morbidity burden is associated with external locus of control. J Am Geriatr Soc, 60(4), 751–755. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1532-5415.2012.03904.x
Henninger, Debra E., Heather E. Whitson, Harvey J. Cohen, and Dan Ariely. “Higher medical morbidity burden is associated with external locus of control.J Am Geriatr Soc 60, no. 4 (April 2012): 751–55. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1532-5415.2012.03904.x.
Henninger DE, Whitson HE, Cohen HJ, Ariely D. Higher medical morbidity burden is associated with external locus of control. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2012 Apr;60(4):751–5.
Henninger, Debra E., et al. “Higher medical morbidity burden is associated with external locus of control.J Am Geriatr Soc, vol. 60, no. 4, Apr. 2012, pp. 751–55. Pubmed, doi:10.1111/j.1532-5415.2012.03904.x.
Henninger DE, Whitson HE, Cohen HJ, Ariely D. Higher medical morbidity burden is associated with external locus of control. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2012 Apr;60(4):751–755.
Journal cover image

Published In

J Am Geriatr Soc

DOI

EISSN

1532-5415

Publication Date

April 2012

Volume

60

Issue

4

Start / End Page

751 / 755

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Retrospective Studies
  • North Carolina
  • Morbidity
  • Male
  • Internal-External Control
  • Humans
  • Geriatrics
  • Female
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Chronic Disease