Changing health behaviors of older adults.

1. Changing lifelong unhealthy habits can have a positive effect on health for older adults. 2. The Transtheoretical Model of behavior change proposes people move through a series of five stages and use a variety of processes as they attempt to change a behavior. 3. Research has shown that tailoring interventions to a individual's stage of change is most effective in promoting behavior change. 4. Specific stage-based strategies are recommended for nurses to use with both individuals and groups of older adults.

Stages of change across ten health risk behaviors for older adults.

Owing to the recent success of the Transtheoretical Model of behavior change and the possible relationships between health behaviors, this study investigated the stage distribution of 10 healthy behaviors (seatbelt use, avoidance of high fat food, eating a high-fiber diet, attempting to lose weight, exercising regularly, avoiding sun exposure, sunscreen use, attempting to reduce stress, stopping smoking, and conducting cancer self-exams) and their interrelationships in a representative sample of health maintenance organization (HMO) members. The majority of older adults were found to be in either precontemplation or maintenance, illustrating the need to target interventions to precontemplation. Most older individuals were in precontemplation for losing weight and/ or sunscreen use and exercise, making these behaviors a priority for intervention research. Possible gateway behaviors to general health could be identified; however, these results are preliminary and require longitudinal follow-up.

An exploratory study: assessing the meaning in life among older adult clients.

Meaning in life has been intimately linked to health, but it has not been explored in an elderly population. The factors that elderly people perceive as being meaningful must be identified, as well as the extent to which they experience fulfillment of meaning in their lives. The majority of study participants indicated that relationships give meaning to their lives; however, nurses must individually assess clients regarding what is most meaningful to them. Clients without meaning or low levels of meaning need to be identified. As nurses become more aware of what is meaningful to older people, they can plan and carry out interventions based on interaction to support or improve areas meaningful to the older person.

Psychosocial theories of aging: a critical evaluation.

Three major psychosocial theories of aging--activity theory, disengagement theory, and continuity theory--are summarized and evaluated. Some important problems are identified with each of the theories when the criteria of intersubjectivity of meaning, testability, and empirical adequacy are utilized in the evaluation process. An analysis of relevant research shows that none of these three theories is clearly supported by empirical evidence. Because of the tentative nature and lack of conclusive support for each of these theories, further exploration and theory development is needed. It is suggested here that a phenomenological approach may be a more productive way to study the psychosocial aspects of aging.