Dairy-product intake and hip fracture among older women: issues for health behavior.

The purpose of this study was to examine the association between dairy-product intake and hip fracture among a national sample of women aged 50 years and older. Univariate analyses using SAS procedures showed dairy-product intake was significantly associated with hip fracture. Women who had suffered hip fracture reported higher dairy use than women who had not experienced these fractures, a finding that is dramatically inconsistent with the literature. This finding may reflect positive behavioral changes resulting from the hip fracture event. Further research must focus on changes in health behavior after fracture, which may assist in understanding the roles of specific theories of health behavior. Application of principles of health behavior could improve the effectiveness of preventive treatment programs for osteoporosis.

Knowledge and attitudes toward breast-feeding: differences among dietitians, nurses, and physicians working with WIC clients.

We assessed the knowledge of and attitude toward breast-feeding of dietitians, nurses, and physicians who work with individuals in the Alabama Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants, and Children. On a scale of 0 to 100, dietitians expressed stronger interest in lactation (78.6) and exhibited greater knowledge (79.6) of the questions asked than nurses (74.5 and 73.0, respectively). Attitude and knowledge scores of physicians (70.2 and 75.5, respectively) were not statistically different from those of dietitians or nurses. Respondents disagreed greatly about the relationship of breast-feeding to weight loss and the appropriateness of oral contraceptives during breast-feeding 6 weeks postpartum. Professionals were more knowledgeable about benefits to infants than about maternal concerns. Results of this study suggest that professional breast-feeding education programs should address maternal concerns such as weight loss, contraception, and mastitis as well as benefits to the infant.

Breastfeeding among women in the Alabama WIC Program.

Women who participated in the Alabama WIC Program during 1986-88 and ceased breastfeeding during the months of May to August during those years breastfed an average 5.6 months. Slightly fewer than 15 percent of the women who breastfed continued for 12 months or longer; 45 percent continued for six months; 59 percent did so for 4 months; and 21 percent breastfed for one month or less. Breastfeeding duration was related positively and independently to increased maternal age and parity. Younger women were more likely than older women to stop breastfeeding due to perceived insufficient milk, in order to return to work or school, or to use oral contraceptives. Women who ceased breastfeeding at or after one year postpartum tended to be older.

Modification of a Nutritional Questionnaire for Older Adults and the ability of its knowledge and attitude evaluations to predict dietary adequacy.

This paper outlines the modification of the Nutritional Questionnaire for Older Adults (NQOA) to determine the extent to which knowledge and attitude can predict dietary adequacy. Aged adults (65 years or older) who participate in the Title III-C congregate meal program at a small community Senior Center in Alabama (n = 22) served as subjects for this study. Knowledge and attitude were shown to be weak predictors of dietary adequacy with regard to specific components, but were found to significantly predict adequate nutritional intake as measured by both RDA and by food group standards.

Nutrition program for the elderly: participants' perception of food quality by type of food service system.

A survey of 1028 clients who participated in 21 nutrition sites for the elderly funded by the Suburban Cook County Area Agency on Aging in Chicago, Illinois revealed that participants who received meals prepared on-site were more satisfied with the quality of the meals than participants who received meals that were satellited as hot bulk food or as preplated cook/freeze meals. Participants who judged the meals as fair or poor were more likely than those who rated the food as excellent or good to respond that they would increase their donation if the food were improved. Data from a national survey used as a standard for judging participant satisfaction of food service are presented in this article.