OBJECTIVES

To explore the mediating role of health locus of control in the relationship between supportive care needs and health promoting behaviours among patients with pulmonary tuberculosis.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional study.

SETTING

This survey was conducted in three tuberculosis-designated hospitals in Xi'an, China, between March and May 2020.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 294 participants completed the questionnaires.

OUTCOME MEASURES

The participants completed a self-designed socio-demographic questionnaire, the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control scale, the Supportive Care Needs Scale for Patients with Tuberculosis and the Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile II. SPSS V.26.0 and Mplus were used for data analysis.

RESULTS

The patients' supportive care needs had a negative association with their health promoting behaviours (r=-0.58, p<0.001). The supportive care needs were negatively related to internal health locus of control (r=-0.43, p<0.001), and positively related to chance health locus of control (r=0.44, p<0.001) and powerful others health locus of control (r=0.20, p<0.001). Health-promoting behaviours had a significantly positive correlation with internal health locus of control (r=0.49, p<0.001) and a negative correlation with chance health locus of control (r=-0.36, p<0.001). Both internal health locus of control and chance health locus of control acted as mediators between supportive care needs and health promoting behaviours, while powerful others health locus of control did not.

CONCLUSION

Health locus of control mediated the relationship between supportive care needs and health promoting behaviours. A high level of internal health locus of control and a low level of chance health locus of control may help to improve health-promoting behaviours. Given the cross-sectional design of this study, future experimental interventions targeting health locus of control are needed to establish causal relationships with supportive care needs and health promoting behaviours.