The nutrition information sources of elderly New Zealanders

A questionnaire was sent to 230 elderly New Zealanders selected at random from the age/sex registers of medical practitioners to investigate their current usage and perceptions of nutrition information sources. The sample selected was representative of the New Zealand elderly population in terms of age, sex, and socioeconomic status distribution. Forty five per cent of respondents indicated they had obtained nutrition information in the past twelve months. Doctors (GP's) were the most common source of nutrition information--used by 20% of the respondents--and many also considered them to be the most reliable and trustworthy. Newspapers and magazines were considered to be the least reliable source of nutrition information. Approximately two thirds of respondents expressed a desire for more nutrition information; pamphlets and GP's were the favoured sources. This study suggests lower socioeconomic groups of elderly people are less receptive audiences for nutrition information. As other research indicates these elderly people are also at greater nutritional risk, reaching these groups present a major challenge to nutrition educators.