Social cognitive factors predicting the health of elders

The social cognitive model of health is primarily concerned with influences on a person's decisions to perform health behaviors. In this study, the relationships among social cognitive factors reflecting enabling skills (learned resourcefulness), internal motivation for health (health self-determinism), and help responses (coping responses) and a measure of physical and psychosocial health were examined in 137 chronically ill elders. Gender, race, and number of chronic conditions were predictors of learned resourcefulness. Learned resourcefulness was associated with the use of informal help, whereas health self-determinism was related to self-help and formal help. None of the help responses were significant predictors of health. Model testing revealed that greater resourcefulness or skill in coping with stressful situations was the most important predictor of health. Strategies are recommended to help elders achieve optimal health.