- HOS
INSTRUCTIONS: The items listed below refer to people's health. Please read
each item carefully and decide to what extent it is characteristic of you. Give each item
a rating of how much it applies to you by using the following scale:
- A = Not at all characteristic of me.
- B = Slightly characteristic of me.
- C = Somewhat characteristic of me.
- D = Moderately characteristic of me.
- E = Very characteristic of me.
- ______________________________________________________________
- NOTE:
- Remember to respond to all items, even if you are not
completely sure.
- Your answers will be kept in the strictest confidence.
- Also, please be honest in responding to these
statements.
____________________________________________________________
- 1. I am very aware of how healthy my body feels.
- 2. I sometimes wonder what others think of my physical
health.
- 3. I feel anxious when I think about my health.
- 4. I feel confident about the status of my health.
- 5. I do things that keep me from becoming physically
unhealthy.
- 6. I'm very motivated to be physically healthy.
- 7. I feel like my physical health is something that I
myself am in charge of.
- 8. The status of my physical health is determined mostly by
chance happenings.
- 9. I expect that my health will be excellent in the future.
- 10. I am in good physical health.
- 11. I notice immediately when my body doesn't feel healthy.
- 12. I'm very concerned with how others evaluate my physical
health.
- 13. I'm worried about how healthy my body is.
- 14. I rarely become discouraged about my health.
- 15. I am motivated to keep myself from becoming physically
unhealthy.
- 16. I'm strongly motivated to devote time and effort to my
physical health.
- 17. My health is something that I alone am responsible for.
- 18. The status of my physical health is controlled by
accidental happenings.
- 19. I believe that the future status of my physical health
will be positive.
- 20. My body is in good physical shape.
- 21. I'm sensitive to internal bodily cues about my health.
- 22. I'm very aware of what others think of my physical
health.
- 23. Thinking about my health leaves me with an uneasy
feeling.
- 24. I am pleased with how well and healthy I feel.
- 25. I try to avoid engaging in behaviors that undermine my
physical health.
- 26. I have a strong desire to keep myself physically
healthy.
- 27. The status of my physical health is determined largely
by what I do (and don't do).
- 28. Being in good physical health is just a matter of luck.
- 29. I do not expect to suffer health problems in the
future.
- 30. I am a well-exercised person.
- 31. I know immediately when I'm not feeling in great
health.
- 32. I'm concerned about how my physical health appears to
others.
- 33. I usually worry about whether I am in good health.
- 34. I have positive feeling about my health.
- 35. I really want to prevent myself from getting out of
shape.
- 36. It's really important to me that I keep myself in
proper physical health.
- 37. What happens to my physical health is my own doing.
- 38. Being in excellent physical shape has little or nothing
to do with luck.
- 39. I will probably experience a number of health problems
in the future.
- 40. My body needs a lot of work in be in excellent physical
shape.
- 41. I'm very aware of changes in my physical health.
- 42. I'm concerned about what other people think of my
physical health.
- 43. I feel nervous when I think about the status of my
physical health.
- 44. I feel that I have handled my health very well.
- 45. I am really motivated to avoid being in terrible
physical shape.
- 46. I strive to keep myself in tip-top physical shape.
- 47. Being in good physical health is a matter of my own
ability and effort.
- 48. I don't believe that chance or luck play any role in
the status of my physical health.
- 49. I anticipate that my physical health will deteriorate
in the future.
- 50. My physical health is in need of attention.
- Copyright - 1996
- Scoring Instructions for the Health Orientation Scale (HOS)
- The Health Orientation Scale (HOS) consists of
10 health-oriented subscales,
each containing five items.
The labels, descriptions, and items for each of these subscales are listed below:
- 1. Personal Health Consciousness: The items on the
Personal Health Consciousness (PHC) subscale refer to an awareness of one's health. These
items were designed to measure people's tendency to think about and to reflect about their
health. People who endorse these items are those who think about that status of their
physical health, and who in general are reflective about the nature of the health and
wellness of their body.
- 1. I am very aware of how healthy my body feels.
- 11. I notice immediately when my body doesn't feel healthy.
- 21. I'm sensitive to internal bodily cues about my health.
- 31. I know immediately when I'm not feeling in great
health.
- 41. I'm very aware of changes in my physical health.
- 2. Health Image Concern: The items on the Health
Image Concern (HIC) subscale refer to an awareness of other people's reactions to one's
health. More specifically, these items were designed to measure people's public concern
about the image which their health (or lack thereof) projects to others. People who
endorse these items are those who are concerned about the appearance of their health to
others, the impression their health makes on others, and how healthy and well others
consider them to be.
- 2. I sometimes wonder what others think of my physical
health.
- 12. I'm very concerned with how others evaluate my physical
health.
- 22. I'm very aware of what others think of my physical
health.
- 32. I'm concerned about how my physical health appears to
others.
- 42. I'm concerned about what other people think of my
physical health.
- 3. Health Anxiety: The items on the Health Anxiety
(HA) subscale refer to anxious feelings associated with the status of one's health. More
specifically, these items were designed to tap people's feelings of tension, discomfort
and anxiety about their physical health. People who endorse these items are those who
experience chronic anxiety as a result of thinking about their physical health.
- 3. I feel anxious when I think about my health.
- 13. I'm worried about how healthy my body is.
- 23. Thinking about my health leaves me with an uneasy
feeling.
- 33. I usually worry about whether I am in good health.
- 43. I feel nervous when I think about the status of my
physical health.
- 4. Health-Esteem and Confidence: The items on the
Health-Esteem and Confidence (HEC) subscale were designed to measure the extent to which
people derive a sense of esteem from the physical status of their body, and the extent to
which they feel confident about their physical health. More specifically, these items are
concerned with how positive individuals feel about their physical wellness. People who
endorse these items are those who feel good about the health status of their bodies; they
feel positive esteem about their health and they have an air of confidence that their
health is robust and durable.
- 4. I feel confident about the status of my health.
- 14. I rarely become discouraged about my health. (R)
- 24. I am pleased with how well and healthy I feel.
- 34. I have positive feeling about my health.
- 44. I feel that I have handled my health very well.
- 5. Motivation to Avoid Unhealthiness: The items on
the Motivation to Avoid Unhealthiness (MAU) subscale refer to motivational tendency to
avoid being or becoming unhealthy. More specifically, these items were designed to measure
people's motivational tendency to avoid poor physical health. People who endorse these
items are those who are concerned about becoming unhealthy; they are motivated to avoid
behaviors and activities which undermine their physical health.
- 5. I do things that keep me from becoming physically
unhealthy.
- 15. I am motivated to keep myself from becoming physically
unhealthy.
- 25. I try to avoid engaging in behaviors that undermine my
physical health.
- 35. I really want to prevent myself from getting out of
shape.
- 45. I am really motivated to avoid being in terrible
physical shape.
- 6. Motivation for Healthiness: The items on the
Motivation for Healthiness (MFH) subscale refer to the motivation to pursue positive
physical health. More specifically, these items were designed to measure people's
motivation to keep in excellent physical health. People who endorse these items are those
who are motivated to attend to the physical health of their body, to engage in activities
which promote their physical health, and to strive to maintain the wellness and integrity
of their physical health.
- 6. I'm very motivated to be physically healthy.
- 16. I'm strongly motivated to devote time and effort to my
physical health.
- 26. I have a strong desire to keep myself physically
healthy.
- 36. It's really important to me that I keep myself in
proper physical health.
- 46. I strive to keep myself in tip-top physical shape.
- 7. Health Internal Control: The items on the
Internal Health Control (IHC) subscale refer to people's belief that their health status
is determined by their own personal control. More specifically, these items were designed
to measure people's expectation that they themselves can exert an influence on their
health. People who endorse these items are those who believe that they can determine
whether their physical health is positive or negative.
- 7. I feel like my physical health is something that I
myself am in charge of.
- 17. My health is something that I alone am responsible for.
- 27. The status of my physical health is determined largely
by what I do (and don't do).
- 37. What happens to my physical health is my own doing.
- 47. Being in good physical health is a matter of my own
ability and effort.
- 8. Health External Control: The items on the
External Health Control (EHC) subscale refer to people's belief that their health status
is determined by experiences and influences outside of their personal control. More
specifically, these items were designed to measure people's expectation that their health
status is largely determined by forces which they themselves can neither anticipate nor
influence. People who endorse these items are those who believe that their health is not
controlled by themselves, rather that their physical health is under the influence of
factors external to themselves.
- 8. The status of my physical health is determined mostly by
chance happenings.
- 18. The status of my physical health is controlled by
accidental happenings.
- 28. Being in good physical health is just a matter of luck.
- 38. Being in excellent physical shape has little or nothing
to do with luck. (R)
- 48. I don't believe that chance or luck play any role in
the status of my physical health. (R)
- 9. Health Expectations: The items on the Health
Expectations (HE) subscale refer to an expectation that one will continue to experience
positive physical health in the future. More specifically, these items were designed to
measure people's belief that their health will continue to be excellent and robust. People
who endorse these items anticipate that their future physical health will continue to be
good.
- 9. I expect that my health will be excellent in the future.
- 19. I believe that the future status of my physical health
will be positive.
- 29. I do not expect to suffer health problems in the
future.
- 39. I will probably experience a number of health problems
in the future. (R)
- 49. I anticipate that my physical health will deteriorate
in the future. (R)
- 10. Health Status: The items on the Health Status
(HS) subscale concerns people's assessment of the physical status of their body. More
specifically, these items were designed to measure the extent to which people assess their
body as being in excellent and robust health. People who endorse these items believe that
they are in excellent physical health.
- 10. I am in good physical health.
- 20. My body is in good physical shape.
- 30. I am a well-exercised person.
- 40. My body needs a lot of work in be in excellent physical
shape. (R)
- 50. My physical health is in need of attention. (R)
- The Development and Validation of the Health Orientation
Scale:
A Measure of Personality Tendencies Associated with Health
Abstract
In recent years a number of investigators have begun to examine the impact
of people's personality tendencies on their physical health. The present investigation
sought to further explore this issue through the development and validation of an
objective self-report instrument designed to measure multiple aspects of people's
health-related personality tendencies. Reliability analyses provided evidence of internal
consistency for the subscales on the Health Orientation Scale (HOS). Other results
indicated that both gender and age jointly influenced people's responses to the Health
Orientation Scale. A final set of results revealed that the personality variables measured
by the Health Orientation Scale were predictive of women's and men's compliance with
actual health-promoting behaviors. The discussion focuses on the potential uses of the
Health Orientation Scale in both research and applied settings.
- Discussion
The purpose of the present investigation
was to construct and validate an objective self-report measure of several health-related
personality features: private health consciousness, defined as the tendency to be highly
aware of and to think about one's physical health-fitness; health image concern, defined
as the tendency to be highly aware of the external, observable impression that one's
physical health makes on others; health anxiety, defined as the tendency to be anxious and
nervous about one's physical health-fitness; health esteem-confidence, defined as a
generalized tendency to positively evaluate and to feel confident about one's physical
health; motivation to avoid unhealthiness, defined as the motivation and desire to avoid
being in a state of unhealthiness; motivation for healthiness, defined as the motivational
tendency and desire to keep oneself in great physical health; internal health control,
defined as the tendency to believe that one's physical health and fitness is a direct
function of one's own behaviors and actions; external health control, defined as the
tendency to believe that one's health status is determined by uncontrollable factors
factors external to oneself; health expectations, defined as the tendency to expect that
one's health will be excellent and positive in the future; and health status, defined as
the tendency to regard oneself as being currently well-exercised and in good physical
shape. The measurement of these health-related personality tendencies was accomplished
through the development of the Health Orientation Scale (HOS). - Reliability analyses confirmed
that all ten subscales on the Health Orientation Scale possessed clearly acceptable levels
of internal reliability. Additional findings indicated that men reported more internal
health control than did women, and that they also tended to report higher scores on the
health esteem-confidence and health status subscales than women. This indicates that the
men in the present study believed they had more personal control of their physical
health-fitness than did the women. In addition, the men in the present study tended to
derive a greater sense of esteem from their physical health than did the women, and they
tended to report being in better physical health. Several age related finding were also
reported in this investigation. Older individuals expressed less concern than did younger
and middle-age individuals about the public impression which their physical health
creates. In addition, older individuals reported less anxiety about their physical health
and less motivation for healthiness than did both younger and middle-age people. These
findings corroborate earlier evidence reported by Bausell (1986) that there is a need for
health promotion activities among older persons. Age was also found to interact with
gender in predicting people's scores on the Health Orientation Scale (HOS). Middle-age
males and older females expressed the strongest belief that their physical health was
predominantly influenced by factors external to their own personal control.
- Future research is needed,
however, to clearly understand the nature of this finding. Middle-age males, for example,
may be spending so much time and effort at career development that it interferes with the
promotion of their physical health--and thus they develop an external locus of control
orientation toward their physical health. In addition, older males may have already
established themselves in their careers or else they may have already retired from their
jobs, with the result that excessive career dedication no longer fosters an external
orientation toward the control of their physical health. Certainly these are interesting
ideas that need to be investigated in future work that focuses on both working men and
women. Two other age related findings were found among the men and women examined in the
present research. Among males, those who were younger reported the greatest motivation for
healthiness and the greatest motivation to avoid unhealthiness. These young males may have
reported this health motivation because of an interest in attracting members of the other
gender through a healthy physical appearance. Whatever the true explanation, this finding
underscores the need for greater health promotion among middle-age and older males, both
of whom seemed to be the least interested in the maintenance of their physical health.
Interestingly, middle-age women also reported a high level of motivation for healthiness
and a high level of motivation to avoid unhealthiness, suggesting that younger and older
women are especially in need of information about their physical health. Perhaps
middle-age women are more knowledgeable about behaviors that contribute to physical health
and thus they are more motivated to take care of themselves. Alternatively, it could be
that as women approach middle-age they become more concerned about their physical
appearance and the physiological implications of the aging process itself, which in turn
could lead to greater motivation for healthiness and greater motivation to avoid
unhealthiness. While these explanations seem possible, still future research is needed to
more closely examine their plausibility.
- The present
investigation also provided evidence for the validity for the subscales on the Health
Orientation Scale. Both men and women who reported higher scores on the motivation for
healthiness and the motivation to avoid unhealthiness subscales were found to engage in a
wide variety of dietary and life-style behaviors that contribute to good physical health
and fitness. Further evidence for the validity of the Health Orientation Scale was
indicated by the findings that internal health control was positively associated and that
external health control was negatively associated with compliance to a number of
health-seeking behaviors. These findings are consistent with those found for the
Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scales (Wallston, Wallston, & DeVellis,
1978). People who believe that they themselves are the primary determinants of their
health status are more likely to take control of their life in a way that contributes to
the avoidance of health risks and to the promotion of health sustaining behaviors. For
example, in the present investigation both men and women who had an internal health
control orientation reported that they watched their weight and exercised in a routine
fashion. These findings provide clear evidence that the study of the psychological
tendencies assessed by the Health Orientation Scale can add to our understanding of the
determinants of healthy behaviors.
- Permission is granted to individuals to use
the Health Orientation Scale (HOS) for research purposes.
Permission granted by William E. Snell, Jr. on February 18, 1997.
