Personal definitions of health among elderly people: A link to effective health promotion

Personal definitions of health are an Important link to effective health promotion, especially for elderly people. The degree to which individuals find health care advice relevant is related to their definitions of health, yet few studies exist that invite older people to discuss such definitions in their own words. This descriptive qualitative study used content analysis to examine 78 statements made in eight focus groups. These statements were in response to the question, ''What does 'healthy' mean to you?'' The 67 participants ranged in age from 67 to 91 years. Despite fairly similar backgrounds, participants used different personal definitions of health. Participants were most likely to rely on activity or attitude definitions of health. African Americans were more likely to discuss attitude definitions than white participants. Suggestions are made for improving the effectiveness of health promotion programs on the basis of personal definitions of health.