Reliability and validity of the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale in Japan: relationship with demographic factors and health-related behavior.

We assessed the reliability and validity of the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale (MHLC scale) in a rural Japanese community. The study subjects were 2388 men and 2454 women aged 40-79 years, who completed a questionnaire regarding socio-demographics, health-related behavior, such as smoking and drinking, and the MHLC. The Cronbach alpha of the MHLC scale, which is an indicator of the internal consistency of the scale, was within the range 0.62-0.76. Elderly subjects, women, and subjects with fewer years of education showed more "external" belief, which is generally consistent with previous reports from overseas. Subjects with adverse health behavior, such as smoking and excess drinking, also had more "external" belief. These results indicate that the MHLC scale has sufficient reliability and validity among the Japanese population. Use of the MHLC scale should help to provide a better understanding of health belief among Japanese, and development of health education programs to prevent lifestyle-related disease.