The usefulness of the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Form C (MHLC-C) for HIV+ subjects: An Italian study

• Published in: AIDS Care (Print) Vol. 20; no. 4; pp. 495 - 502
• Main Authors: Ubbiali, A., Donati, D., Chiorri, C, Bregani, V., Cattaneo, E., Maffei, C., Visintini, R.
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Abingdon Taylor & Francis Group 01.04.2008; Taylor & Francis; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Antiretroviral agents; Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; Belief & doubt; Beliefs; Biological and medical sciences; Chronic Disease; Drug therapy; Factor Analysis, Statistical; Female; Health; Health behavior; Health care; Health psychology; Health Status; health-related beliefs; HIV; HIV Infections - drug therapy; HIV Infections - psychology; Human immunodeficiency virus; Humans; Internal-External Control; Italy; Locus of control; Male; Medical sciences; Medical sociology; Medical treatment; MHLC-C; Middle Aged; Multidimensional analysis; Patient Compliance - psychology; Patients; Psychological tests; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychometrics; Psychometrics. Diagnostic aid systems; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Quality of life; relational style; Studies; Surveys and Questionnaires; Techniques and methods; Italy; Europe; Social environment; Locus of control; Questionnaire; Attitude scale; Mental health; Internal consistency; Likert scale; Health behavior; Adult; Predictive validity; Public health; Human; Belief; Immunopathology; Foreign language version; Factor analysis; Psychometrics; AIDS; Personality; Test reliability; Immune deficiency; Social cognition; Infection; Test validation; Viral disease; Young adult
• ISSN: 0954-0121; 1360-0451; 1360-0451
• DOI: 10.1080/09540120701867115

In the last few years, highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has resulted in a remarkable decrease in HIV-related morbidity and mortality. This "new deal" encouraged clinical research in investigating patients' manifest behaviours and their beliefs regarding their health status, which likely influence not only their treatment-linked behaviours but also their quality of life. Locus of control has been shown to be a construct that can predict and explain health-related behaviours. The Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Form C (MHLC-C) is a condition-specific locus of control scale that can be easily adapted for use with any medical or health-related condition. With the aim to enhance the knowledge about the HIV+ patients' point of view of their complex health condition, this study preliminarily investigated the psychometrics properties of the MHLC-C Italian version and its generalizability across samples defined both by being adherent or not and by gender. Two more samples of chronic patients (Cardiac Surgery and Cancer) were enrolled to better characterize the HIV+ patient's MHLC-C profile. The results showed the validity, reliability and generalizability of the 4-factor structure of MHLC-C. More interestingly, HIV+ subjects revealed a peculiar pattern of beliefs regarding their health condition that clinicians should take into account when managing patients' complex bio-psychosocial condition.