Health Locus of Control and Neurocognitive Function in Latinx and Non-Latinx White People Living With HIV: A Cross-sectional Study

Research suggests that health locus of control (HLOC) is related to important health and neurocognitive outcomes in people living with HIV (PLWH). However, the role of ethnicity in these relationships remains poorly understood. This study explored the role of HLOC on neurocognition in a diverse sample of 134 PLWH (Latinx: n = 96; non-Latinx White [NLW]: n = 38) who completed comprehensive neurocognitive evaluations and the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale-Form C (MHLS-C). Results indicate no ethnocultural differences in HLOC beliefs (p’s > .05). External HLOC (i.e., chance and powerful others) related to worse neurocognition in the Latinx group and contributed to significant variance in global neurocognition and learning, memory, and verbal fluency, underscoring the role of external HLOC beliefs on neurocognition, particularly for Latinx individuals. Additional research is needed to better characterize the mechanistic relationship between HLOC beliefs and neurocognitive function and to further explore this relationship among other underrepresented populations also disproportionately impacted by HIV.