The Chinese Version of the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale Form C in Pregnancy

Objective: The concept of locus of control (LOC) is an important psychological dimension within health research. The current study sought to establish the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale Form C (C-MHLC-C) on the third trimester of pregnancy to assess the potential usefulness of this measure within this clinical population.

Methods: Internal consistency and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted on C-MHLC-C data from 292 women on the third trimester of pregnancy. Case detection for significant psychological disturbance was assessed using the 12-item General Health Questionnaire.

Results: The best fit to the data was offered by a modified four-factor model comprising correlated dimensions of "internal," "chance," "doctors," and "powerful others" LOC. However, even this best-fit model offered a poor fit to the data. The subscales of the C-MHLC-C all demonstrated poor internal consistency.

Conclusion: The C-MHLC-C cannot be recommended as a valid and reliable measure of LOC until a full translation and validation study has been conducted.