Health-promoting behaviors in older adults: The effect of social support, perceived health status, and personal factors

The objectives for Healthy People 2000 issued in 1990 have provided an important stimulus for promoting positive health behaviors in person of all ages. With the dramatic increase in longevity and a high number of chronic illnesses, promoting the health of elderly people is a challenge for nurses interested in enhancing their health and quality of life. This study explored the effects of personal factors (age, gender, race, education, and income), perceived health status (self-assessed health and number of chronic illnesses), and social support on health-promoting behaviors in older adults. Pender's (1996) Health Promotion Model was used as the guiding theoretical framework for the study.;A convenience sample of 121 older adults (aged 55 to 105 years) was recruited from senior housing facilities and senior centers. The mean age was 75.6 years (SD = 9.2). There were 61 females and 60 males, representing two racial groups of 61 Blacks and 60 Whites. Data were collected using a structured interview format which contained five instruments: demographic information, the SF-36 Health Survey, the Older Americans Resources Service (OARS) schedule of illnesses, the Personal Resource Questionnaire-Part II, and Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile-II.;Analyses included correlations, t-tests, and multiple regression. The results indicated that having more years of education was associated with engaging in more health-promoting behaviors. Having a better health status and higher levels of social support were associated with practicing more health-promoting behaviors, Subjects with a higher income and a better health status were more likely to have high levels of social support.;Multiple regression analyses revealed that 21% of the variance in health-promoting behaviors was explained by five personal variables and perceived health status. When social support was included in the analysis, the amount of variance in explaining health-promoting behaviors was increased from 21% to 31%. Race, education, and social support were the major predictors of health-promoting behaviors. In addition, race, education, and self-assessed health were found to have independent, direct influences on health-promoting behaviors. Only race and education had indirect effects on health-promoting behaviors, operating through social support. The findings indicated that black subjects who reported a higher income and high levels of social support would be more likely to practice more health-promoting behaviors.;The findings suggest that personal and environmental factors play an important role in determining health-promoting behaviors in older adults. Nurses need to recognize the influences of these factors, especially social support, in designing health-promoting interventions. Future research is warranted to test the revision of Pender's model in other population groups.