THE RELATIONSHIP AMONG EUDAIMONISTIC CONCEPTION OF HEALTH, INTERNAL CANCER LOCUS-OF-CONTROL, HOPE, AND HEALTH-PROMOTING LIFESTYLE IN WOMEN WITH BREAST CANCER.

Description

This study was designed to investigate the relationship among eudaimonistic conception of health, internal cancer locus of control, hope, and health-promoting lifestyle in women with breast cancer. Four hypotheses were formulated: (1) There is a positive relationship between eudaimonistic conception of health and health-promoting lifestyle in women with breast cancer. (2) There is a positive relationship between internal cancer locus of control and health-promoting lifestyle in women with breast cancer. (3) There is a positive relationship between hope and health-promoting lifestyle in women with breast cancer. (4) Eudaimonistic conception of health, internal cancer locus of control, and hope, taken together, are more predictive of health-promoting lifestyle in women with breast cancer than each variable taken separately. A sample of 76 ambulatory women with stage I, II, or III breast cancer who were between 40 and 65 years of age participated in the study. Participants completed the Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile, the Laffrey Health Conception Scale, the Cancer Health Locus of Control, and the Herth Hope Scale. Participants also completed a personal data form that consisted of questions designed to provide information on demographic and illness-related variables. Hypotheses 1, 2, and 3 were analyzed using the Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient, and multiple regression analysis was used to test Hypothesis 4. Hypothesis 1 was supported but the magnitude of the relationship was small (r =.264, p $<$.05). Internal cancer locus of control was not significantly correlated with health-promoting lifestyle and therefore Hypothesis 2 was not supported. Hypothesis 3 was supported by the data. The correlation coefficient obtained was moderately high in magnitude (r =.645, p $<$.001). Multiple regression analysis showed that 42.02% of the variance in health-promoting lifestyle was accounted for by eudaimonistic conception of health, internal cancer locus of control, and hope combined. However the addition of the first two independent variables did not significantly contribute to the variance in health-promoting lifestyle and therefore Hypothesis 4 was not supported. Supplementary analyses revealed that women living alone were less likely to perform health-promoting behaviors than women living with someone. Both education and perception of health status were positively correlated with eudaimonistic conception of health. Internal cancer locus of control was positively correlated to perception of health status. (Abstract shortened by UMI.).

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