Perceived health promotion practice by older women: use of herbal products

There is some evidence that women are more likely than men to use complementary health products for chronic conditions at some point in their lives. This study conducted in Florida built upon an earlier one by the same authors to follow up subjects after an interval of 18 months. There were 70 women aged 65 and over in the sample. Instruments employed included the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale, and the Perceived Health Competence Scale. The study revealed that the prevalence of herbal product usage and the number of products used remained the same over the 18-month period. Differences in locus of control between users and non-users were not statistically significant.