[Life control, the core of being healthy. Theoretical-empirical definition of the concept "life control"].

In this article the concept 'life control' is being analysed and defined. A need to define the concept 'life control' emerged during a research that deat with a human being's descriptions being healthy. 'Life control' turned out to be the central category and the main concept organising the whole data. The data were collected by focused interviews (N = 60). Those interviewed represented five different styles of 'life control'. One of these styles that were discovered in the research was chosen as the basis of the conceptual analysis. This style was characterised by 'laissez faire' attitude towards life. Hybrid model was used as the theoretical frame of reference in the conceptual analysis. Thorough study of Finnish and foreign literature about 'life control' leads into an explicit definition of 'life control' describing the data collected by focused interviews: 'Life control' is an individual's basic belief concerning the possibilities to control the course of human life and the extent of this control. An individual either controls his/her life quite independently and completely or only to a certain extent, or it is controlled by factors beyond the influence of a human being. The definition of the 'life control' -concept in the sense that it displays basic beliefs should be examined by studying people's way of thinking with the help of interviews, essays, questionnaires or analysis of autobiographies.