TRADITIONAL CHINESE HEALTH BELIEFS, PRIMARY-SECONDARY LOCUS OF CONTROL AND HEALTH SEEKING BEHAVIOUR

Abstract

Studies on religions and world views have tended to focus on the Western cultures. In this study, the Asian cultural model was considered. The Chinese World View commonly adhered to by the Chinese in Singaporean was examined with respect to its influences on beliefs in specific domains and their consequences on an individual's life. Lazarus and Folkman's (1984) transactional model was used as a tool to integrated the relationship between Chinese world view, Chinese health beliefs, primary - secondary locus of control, and health seeking behaviour and general well being. 199 females and 101 males participated in this study. All of them were Chinese. Differences in means between the Asian oriented and Western oriented religions were found in Food Avoidance Dietary Beliefs, Religious Control and Active Secondary Control. Several findings were found with reference to Lazarus et al's (1984) transactional model. Firstly, Chinese world view was found to predict Chinese Health Beliefs. Secondly, Chinese world view and Chinese health beliefs predicted some domains of primary and secondary locus of control. Chinese world view and Chinese health beliefs were found to predict Chinese health seeking behaviour. Finally, these control behaviours had different effects on different domains of well being. Lisrel analysis generally supported these findings.