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Abstract
This study investigated fetal and maternal health locus of control beliefs among 39 pregnant women with overt (Type I or Type II) diabetes, 124 women with gestational diabetes, and 72 nondiabetic pregnant controls. Results indicated that the women with overt diabetes obtained higher scores on the Powerful Others subscale of the Fetal Health Locus of Control Scale (FHLC) than nondiabetic controls. Women with gestational diabetes obtained higher scores on the Chance subscale of the FHLC than the other two groups. The three groups did not differ on any subscale of the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control (MHLC). However, the Chance and Powerful Others subscales of the MHLC were related to psychological distress during pregnancy. Findings suggest that when providing care for pregnant women with diabetes, clinicians might best emphasize the effects of maternal behavior on the health of the fetus rather than on the mother's own health.