A faculty member at the Vanderbilt University School of Nursing for more than 40 years, Ken Wallston worked widely in the transdisciplinary arena termed behavioral medicine. He was known for his research regarding how individuals' beliefs in their ability to control their health influence their health behavior and outcomes. In the 1970s, he and colleagues developed the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control (MHLC) scales, which are still used to assess belief and health status.He was also an active member of the Institute for Medicine and Public Health at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
A prolific researcher, Dr. Wallston published hundreds of articles during his career and continued in retirement.
egarded internationally as one of the founders of health psychology, Kenneth Wallston died in Asheville, North Carolina, in 2020.