Health behaviors in a representative sample of older Canadians: prevalences, reported change, motivation to change, and perceived barriers.
OBJECTIVE
Prevalence estimates of healthy behaviors and preventive care among older adults have not received sufficient attention, despite important health benefits such as longevity and better quality of life. Moreover, little is known about general population prevalences of older adults' efforts to change behavior, motivations to improve health behaviors, and perceived barriers to change.


METHODS
This study estimates the prevalence of a wide range of health behaviors and preventive-care activities, self-reported behavior change, and perceived barriers to change in a 1996-1997 population-based survey of 17,354 Canadian adults aged 60 and older.


RESULTS
The findings indicate that a substantial proportion of older adults lead relatively inactive lives and often fall short of recommended standards for preventive health-care visits and screening tests. Moreover, nearly two thirds (63.2%) of older adults reported no efforts in the prior year to make changes to improve their health, and similar numbers (66.7%) indicated they thought no changes were needed. Differences in prevalences were found by gender, age, and education.


CONCLUSIONS
Results from this study are useful for policy makers who need to prioritize public health efforts, researchers studying interventions, and health professionals developing preventive-care guidelines.
Newsom
Jason T
JT
Institute on Aging, Portland State University, PO Box 751, Portland, OR 97207-0751, USA. newsomj@pdx.edu
Kaplan
Mark S
MS
Huguet
Nathalie
N
McFarland
Bentson H
BH
D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D002170:Canada / Q000453:epidemiology; D003955:Diagnostic Tests, Routine / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004032:Diet; D004522:Educational Status; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011322:Primary Prevention / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D000074606:Smoking Prevention