The Relationships Among Maternal Health Locus of Control Beliefs and Expectations, Pediatrician-Mother Communication, and Maternal Satisfaction With Well-Infant Care

The objective of this study was to assess the relationship among mothers' perceptions of control over the health of their children, mothers' expectations about and satisfaction with their infants' pediatric well-child care visit, and selected attributes of pediatrician-mother interaction during these well-care visits. Results suggest that pediatrician-mother interaction during well-child visits is responsive to mothers' locus of control beliefs with regard to their children's health and expectations regarding physician interactive behavior. Moreover, pediatrician-mother interaction was predictive of maternal overall satisfaction. These results are discussed both theoretically and within an applied perspective.