A health assessment of older Americans: some multidimensional measures

This study examined the relationships among self-reported health practices and self-reported health status variables for 126 older adults drawn from a population of senior center participants, homebound elderly, and nursing home residents. Canonical correlation was used to determine significant relationships among linear combinations of the health variable set and the health practices-demographic data variable set. One significant canonical variate indicated that older adults who were more satisfied socially, free of or low in depression, had fewer or no physical disabilities, an internal locus of control, higher self-esteem, and fewer or no symptoms of aging, also tended to report engaging in current and lifelong exercise, sleeping 7 or 8 hr per day, having a higher educational attainment, and being in the younger age group of elderly. Current health practices of older adults were related to important health status variables. This finding contradicts some earlier investigations and suggests that older adults are indeed appropriate targets for health education and health promotion activities.