title: Locus of control for general health and STD acquisition among adolescent girls.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine adolescent girls' perception of control over general health and sexually transmitted disease (STD) acquisition.
  
  
  METHODS
  Adolescents participating in a longitudinal study were asked questions regarding their perception of their locus of control. These questions, adopted from a previous measure, focused on six loci: internal control, control by parents, partners, peers, and health care providers, and chance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 128 girls (mean age, 17 years; range, 14.5 to 18.8); 82% were black and 18% white. Statistically significant associations were found between control of general health and STD acquisition for each locus of control subscale, with the exception of partner control. However, the girls reported significantly less control over STD acquisition than over general health for health care providers, parents, and by chance, and significantly more partner and internal control over STD acquisition than general health. The correlations between parental control over general health and over STD acquisition were inversely correlated with age. Partner control was positively related to current condom use, but internal control was not.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The degree of the locus of control was specific for STD acquisition. Girls who believe they should be able to control STD acquisition may not be using condoms. The view of partners as having control over STD acquisition may represent joint communication or coercion. However, in general these findings support the development of female-controlled methods for STD prevention, such as topical microbicides.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Ohio, USA.
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Rosenthal
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: R F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: DeVellis
authors.forename: F M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Biro
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Succop
authors.forename: L R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Stanberry
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D001294:Attitude to Health; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires