Doctoral Dissertations

Date of Award

5-1994

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education

Major

Health Promotion and Health Education

Major Professor

Bill C. Wallace

Committee Members

Jack Pursley, Velma Pressly, William Poppen

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to develop a profile of the health status of community dwelling elderly, aged sixty and over living in East Tennessee, through the use of a computerized health risk appraisal. This study looked at information obtained through the administration of the instrument "Healthier Living: An Appraisal Program for Older Americans". Answers were specifically sought to the following questions:

1. Are the health risk factors of the elderly in East Tennessee Development District 02 the same as those observed nation wide?

2. What is the health profile of the elderly in the East Tennessee Development District 02?

3. Will the health profile of the elderly living in urban areas differ from the health profile of the elderly living in rural areas?4. Will there be a difference in the health risk profile of the young-old, the old, and the oldest-old?

5. What differences will be seen in the health risk profile of individuals residing alone as compared to those residing with others? A sample of 246 elderly persons, age 60 or older in attendance at area senior centers, was randomly selected by the use of a proportional sampling design. Each individual completed the Healthier Living instrument and the answers were then entered into the EPI-INFO program for analysis. Results were presented by descriptive research methods and the use of the Chi-Square test for homogeneity. The following major conclusions were drawn from the findings of the study: (1) when comparing the health risk factors of residents of East Tennessee with those health factors observed on a national basis. East Tennessee residents had a higher rating in the areas of; self perception of health, the non-use of tobacco and exercise habits and a lower rating in the areas of vision and hearing impairment; (2) residents of urban and rural areas tend to have similar health profiles; (3) cohort groups tend to have a similar health profile; (4) the age of the respondent has a direct bearing on the appraised age as arrived at through the health risk appraisal; and (5) living alone or with another tends to have no bearing on individual health profiles. Conclusions were made and recommendations offered related to the use of the health risk profile, as an avenue of communication and education when interacting with the elderly.

Download
Files over 3MB may be slow to open. For best results, right-click and select "save as..."

Share

COinS