Adult attachment, coping style and health locus of control as predictors of health behaviour

Questionnaire measures of health-related variables were administered to 287 university students on two occasions. At Time 1, subjects completed measures of attachment (Comfort with Closeness and Anxiety over Relationships), coping style, health locus of control, and health-related lifestyle variables. Ten weeks later, self-reports of health behaviour and changes in lifestyle were obtained. The measures of attachment coping style, and health locus of control were related to health behaviour better subjective health was predicted by internal locus of control and by low Anxiety over Relationships, and “objective” health was inversely related to the monitoring coping style. The strongest finding for health-related lifestyle was a tendency for Anxiety over Relationships to be associated with concern over issues of diet and weight. The observed link between Anxiety over Relationships and concern over health issues supports theoretical work relating attachment style to ways of regulating distress.