Locus of Control for Oral Health Scale – LOCOH
Measures an individual's beliefs regarding the source of control over their oral health outcomes across three dimensions: Internality, Chance, and Powerful Others.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Locus of Control for Oral Health Scale – LOCOH was developed by Rosita Brown Long (2006). It is designed to measure Oral Health Locus of Control. The scale is intended for use with Adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 31 items organized into 3 factors/subscales: Internality, Chance, Powerful Others.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Internality | 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 | 10 |
| Chance | 11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21 | 11 |
| Powerful Others | 22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31 | 10 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Strongly Agree, 2 = Moderately Agree, 3 = Agree, 4 = Disagree, 5 = Moderately Disagree, 6 = Strongly Disagree.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 10 to 66. Interpretation guidelines:
- Internality Score Range: 10 – 60
- Chance Score Range: 11 – 66
- Powerful Others Score Range: 10 – 60
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Internality: 0.79, Chance: 0.81, Powerful Others: 0.82.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.