The relationship between perceptions of social support and adherence to dietary recommendations among African-American elders with hypertension.
Social support is generally thought to facilitate adherence to recommended treatment regimens. Despite a well-documented tradition of social support among African Americans, much of the existing research indicates a very limited level of adherence, especially to dietary modification. To account for this seeming contradiction, forty-one rural-dwelling African Americans with hypertension age 65+ participated in a series of structured and semi-structured interviews. Results indicate that 1) informants perceived themselves to be well-supported by family and friends; 2) most informants have achieved a moderate to high level of dietary adherence; and 3) no statistically significant relationship existed between perceived social support and dietary adherence. The discussion focuses on three reasons for this lack of association, including: 1) modest sample size; 2) informants' identification of helpful others who defied standard evaluations of support; and 3) incremental and gradual dietary changes that required little need for social support.
Schoenberg
N E
NE
Department of Behavioral Science, University of Kentucky, Lexington 40536-0086, USA. nesch@pop.uky.edu
D001741:Black or African American; D000368:Aged; D001835:Body Weight; D004032:Diet; D004041:Dietary Fats; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000208:ethnology / Q000628:therapy; D010465:Perception; D012944:Social Support; D012982:Sodium, Dietary
D004041:Dietary Fats; D012982:Sodium, Dietary