Gender and Health Control Beliefs Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults

Abstract

Objective: Internal health locus of control (HLOC) reflects individuals’ beliefs that their own behavior influences their health. This study explores the gender difference in internal HLOC among middle-aged and older adults. Method: Using data from two waves of the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS; N = 1,748), I estimate two-level random-intercept models predicting internal HLOC. Results: Women report higher levels of health control beliefs than men, especially in older cohorts born in the 1920s and 1930s. Adjustment for health, socioeconomic status, generalized control, and masculinity increases this gender gap, whereas adjustment for femininity and religiosity significantly reduces this difference. Women’s higher religiosity and more feminine traits, such as warmth, nurturance, and care, partly explain their higher internal HLOC relative to men. Discussion: Because femininity and religiosity are positively associated with other-orientation, interventions to increase communal orientation may enhance beliefs in proactive responsibility for one’s health among older adults.