Health promotion practices of the older adult

The purposes of this study were to explore the overall primary and secondary health promotion activities of a group of older adults who resided in a life care community. This was a descriptive study, and included 194 out of 200 residents who participated in a single face-to-face interview. The majority of the participants were female (80%), white (98%), and cognitively intact (Mini Mental Status Exam [MMSE] scores of 27.0 +/- 4.1). Those in the oldest age group were less likely to monitor their cholesterol intake, have their stools checked for occult blood, or have a mammogram or Pap test over the previous 2 years. The most common reasons for not having these tests were advanced age, not being told to by their primary health care provider, and no interest in pursuing abnormal findings. Health care providers should consider an individualized approach to health promotion and disease prevention and help the older adult make his or her own decisions regarding participation in these activities.