Validation of the Parent Health Locus of Control Scales on an Italian sample

Aim: This study examined the psychometric properties and the replicability of De Vellis’s (1993) Parent Health Locus of Control (PHLOC) scales in an Italian sample. Method: The Italian version of PHLOC was administered to 470 mothers of birth to 3-year-old children. Results: Varimax rotated confirmatory factor analysis identified the six original sub-factors, namely Child, Divine, Fate, Media, Parental, and Professional influences over child health. Internal consistency of the sub-scales was good ( > .70), and test-retest correlations were adequate (r > .80). More highly educated mothers rated media influence as most important. No differences were found considering children’s age, gender, and birth order. Conclusions: The results offer good evidence of the cross-cultural validity of the PHLOC scales, an instrument that can be useful in interventions with families by the health education practitioners to prevent neglectful childrearing practices.