Nutrition locus of control and dietary behaviors of pregnant women.

B EHAVIOR PATTERNS are a key factor in preventing illness and maintaining health (Department of Health and Human Services, 1991). Self-care behaviors are encouraged as a way to maximize personal health and limit health care expenses. Interventions to enhance self-care efforts have met with limited success because changes in daily living are often difficult to sustain (Evans & Hall, 1978). Because self-direction, as measured by the locus of control orientation, is believed to influence self-care efforts, educational and clinical programs based on locus of control perspectives have been suggested as one means to promote self-care behaviors (Houts & Warland, 1989; Muhlenkamp & Nelson, 1981). The locus of control construct, as derived from Rotter’s social learning theory (Rotter, 1954), has two dimensions. Internal locus of control is the extent to which one believes in one’s personal ability to control outcomes. External locus of control is the extent to which one believes events are beyond personal control. External control is divided into two subdimensions (a) powerful others locus of control describes the extent to which one believes that others, such as physicians, the health care system, family, or friends, are responsible for outcomes; and (b) chance locus of control describes the extent to which one believes outcomes are caused by factors such as chance, fate, or luck over which no one has control. Because the dimensions are considered to be independent, a person’s locus of control can be high or low in one or more dimensions. In addition, each dimension can vary according to specific situations, such as weight loss or pregnancy. To more accurately address health care issues,