Introduction

The internal health locus of control promotes behaviors such as: physical activity, smoking and alcohol consumption, and maintaining a healthy body weight.

Aim of the study

To define relationship between chosen health behaviours of nurses and the health locus of control.

Material and methods

The diagnostic survey was carried out in a group of 184 nurses from the Lublin and Podkarpackie voivodships. The author’s questionnaire and the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale (MHLC-B) were used. The data was subjected to statistical analysis using the Anova test.

Results

The internal health locus of control was rated the highest. Higher internal health locus of control results were obtained by rural residents than by city residents (p = 0.025) and by those surveyed in the age range 31 to 35 years and from 36 to 40 years (p = 0.046). Nurses with the highest internal health locus of control declared daily consumption of granular bread in comparison to those consuming it less frequently than once a week (p = 0.049). A higher index of the health locus of control in terms of the influence of others was obtained by nurses performing cytology once a year than by those performing it once every three years (p = 0.026). The health locus of control in the scope of internal control was higher in nurses declaring having own gynecologist in a private doctor’s office in comparison to those visiting to a public health care center (p = 0.016). Nurses with a body weight in the normal range obtained the highest rate in the health locus of control understand as a “chance” in comparison to overweight and obese nurses (p = 0.003).

Conclusions

The nurses surveyed achieved high results in the internal health locus of control, but the health behaviours they undertake are not always conditioned by this type of health locus of control.