[Model development of an elderly health promotion center: the effect of a social support program at a community health center].
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to develop a model of an elderly health promotion center after witnessing the effect of a social support program on dependent variables in older adults at a local community health center.


METHODS
The subjects were 60 female adults over 65 years dwelling in a rural area, and they were divided into experimental and control groups each with 30 people. A social support program was implemented 6 hours a day, 3 times a week, for 4 months in the experimental group. Included was health assessment, health education, counseling, consultation, exercise, physical & occupational therapy, primary care, recreation, lunch & transfer service. Data was collected from May 1st to September 14th, 2002 by questionnaires, and analyzed by x2-test, t-test, Pearson's correlation coefficient and stepwise multiple regression using SAS.


RESULTS
The social support program in the elderly was very effective on all dependent variables of physical health (t= 4.68, p= .001), health knowledge (t= 3.60, p= .001), life satisfaction (t= 8.65, p= .001), and health promoting behaviors (t= 5.23, p= .001).


CONCLUSIONS
The Social Support Program at a Community Health Center was effective on health promoting behaviors in the elderly.
Jang
Park-Oh
PO
Department of Nursing at Chonnam National University, Chonnam Research Institute of Nursing Science, Gwang-Ju City 501-746, Korea. ojpark@chonnam.ac.kr
So
Hyang-Sook
HS
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003151:Community Health Centers; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006266:Health Education; D006293:Health Promotion; D006299:Health Services for the Aged; D006801:Humans; D007723:Korea; D019035:Rural Health Services; D012944:Social Support