Intraindividual change and interindividual differences in factors influencing older women's health-seeking behavior

Our primary purpose in conducting this study was to examine the factor structure of older women's health-seeking behavior, which we assessed over 100 occasions. This was accomplished with a daily self-report of nutritional, exercise, and adherence behaviors. A secondary purpose was to determine differences in the stability and lability of health-seeking behavior factors. The sample consisted of 4 women in their 60s and 4 women in their 80s. By using P-technique factor analysis, in which the sample size is determined by number of occasions rather than participants, we examined individual factors of health-seeking behavior for variability over time. Both activity and dietary items made up the health-seeking behavior factors of participants who were in their 60s, whereas for participants in their 80s factors comprised only activity items. The stability of most of these health-seeking behaviors indicated that these behaviors may be more trait-like than state-like in these older women.