Evaluation of group health promotion with community-dwelling older women

Health promotion outcomes with older adults are characterized increasingly in terms of several effects. The outcomes of a health-promotion intervention with a group consisting of a majority of African-American older women were evaluated after six months. The study employed a quasi-experimental design with intervention and control groups all living in the area of a midwestern city with the highest proportion of low-income and non-Caucasian elders. Women in the intervention group participated in weekly group meetings over 26 weeks. The intervention was derived from the ecologic well being model and incorporated content related to three areas of outcome evaluation: health practices, psychologic and spiritual well-being, and social integration. Interviews conducted prior to and on conclusion of the intervention incorporated four single-item qualitative measures and the following three instruments as outcome measures: the senior lifestyle inventory, the integration inventory, and the social integration subscale. Although no significant increases in outcomes were demonstrated over time for the intervention group, statistical analysis before and after the intervention did reveal significant contrasts among controls in relation to well-being, health practices, and life satisfaction, suggesting a preventive-maintenance effect for the participants.