FOLLOWING PHYSICIAN’S ADVICE IN LATE LIFE: THE ROLES OF LOCUS OF CONTROL AND HEALTH STATUS

Abstract

Abstract Adherence to physicians’ recommendations plays an important role in health maintenance in old age (Kravitz, Hays, Sherbourne & DiMatteo,1993). However insufficient attention has been paid to the influence of patients’ mental and physical health and locus of control on adherence to physician’s recommendations. This paper studied subjective health appraisals, chronic illnesses, functional limitations, and cognitive impairment along with internal or external locus of control as influences on adherence to physicians’ recommendations. We explored these associations among 684 older adults (mean age = 80.71 years) living in a retirement community in Florida. Respondents participated in the Elderly Care Research Center successful aging study (Kahana, Kelley-Moore & Kahana 2012). Older patients and those with more functional limitations reported greater adherence to physicians’ recommendations (b=.15, p< 0.05). Those respondents with greater cognitive impairment were less adherent (b=-.1, p< 0.05). Internal locus of control, reflected in beliefs that patients play a major role in health outcomes was associated with less adherence (b=-0.1, p< 0.05). The belief that health professionals influence health outcomes was associated with greater adherence (b=.1, < 0.05). Lower adherence was also associated with the stronger belief that health is a matter of good fortune (b=-.06, p< 0.05). Our findings offer useful insights about the role of internal vs. external influences on health outcome expectations in late life and health behaviors of compliance with medical regimens.