Comparison of selected health behavior variables in elderly women with osteoarthritis in different environments

Hardiness, social support, perceived health, functional independence, and use of health care facilities were compared in this descriptive study of 45 elderly women with osteoarthritis living in three different environments--urban, rural, and frontier. All participants were between the ages of 65 and 75 years and were residing in their own homes. Statistical differences were found between groups in overall perceived health and functional independence; the frontier sample perceived their health as better and themselves as more functionally independent than the urban or the rural sample. No statistical differences were found in levels of hardiness or perceived social support between the three groups. Use of health care facilities varied among participant groups by environmental context; the urban group made more use of facilities than the rural or frontier group, and the rural group used more facilities than the frontier group.