Purpose of the Study: The Exercise Assessment Screening for You (EASY) tool was developed to encourage older adults at every functional level to be more physically active. The purposes of this study were to examine characteristics of older adults who participated in an evidence-based falls prevention program by their entry to EASY tool scores,…

Purpose of the study: Previous research found that "fun on line" is the most dominant content in seniors' online communities. The present study aimed to further explore the "fun culture" in these communities and to discover its unique qualities. Design and Methods: The study applied an online ethnography (netnography) approach, utilizing a full…

Purpose: Widowhood eliminates a key source of support that may trigger greater involvement in social activities and volunteer participation, which are related to better late-life health and functioning. We reexamine and build upon 2 recent studies exploring recent widowhood and social participation. Using different data, we perform a…

Purpose: This article explores recruitment strategies based on the transtheoretical model (TTM) with older adults living in a naturally occurring retirement community (NORC) to encourage enrollment in a physical activity promotion program, "Active Living Every Day" (ALED). Reasons for participation or nonparticipation are identified. Design and…

Purpose: We describe the translation of K. R. Lorig and colleagues' Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (CDSMP) for delivery in a senior center and evaluate pre-post benefits for African American participants. Design and Methods: Modifications to the CDSMP included a name change; an additional introductory session; and course augmentations…

Examines literature on senior center participation and factors related to participation for minority elders. Concludes that extent of involvement of minority elders in senior centers is unclear because of lack of data for certain groups and methodological problems in some studies. Identifies and discusses factors that might affect minority…

Purpose: The purpose of this report is to evaluate the reliability and validity of the five-item Evaluation to Sign Consent (ESC), a measure that can guide determination of an older adult's capacity to consent for research. Design and Methods: Information was obtained from 346 nursing home residents from six facilities who were being enrolled into…

Examined participation of elderly people in research. Compared to subjects refusing consent, subjects signing consent had significantly more positive feelings about being used as subject; giving urine; giving blood; having physical examination; being interviewed; taking intelligence test; answering questions; being subject to help others; finding…

Data collected as part of the Adult Day Health Care Evaluation Study revealed relatively few significant differences between program participants and nonparticipants in terms of characteristics of the referral process, demographic and health status variables, the patient's living situation, and information about the patient's caregiver. (NB)

Surveyed recent enrollees (n=174) in Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) Medicare coverage. Respondents were younger, healthier, and had more education than the general 65+ population; learned about HMOs from family and friends; and joined HMOs because of accessibility and coverage. Expectations about HMO care coverage were very high, raising…

Briefly reviews illustrative literature on willingness or unwillingness of older adults to participate in clinical trials, health promotion/disease prevention initiatives, and health programs to maintain or improve functioning of chronically ill older adults. Review provides overview of participation of older adults in health programs and…

Found that older adults enrolled in Health Maintenance Organization who were higher users of health care services were willing to participate in health promotion programs. People aged 85+ and those with chronic diseases were slightly more reluctant to participate. Close proximity to clinic and family physician support were important correlates of…

Analyzed correlates of senior center participation for 13,737 elders from Supplement on Aging of 1984 National Health Interview Survey. Significant characteristics were higher levels of social interaction, decreasing income, living alone, fewer activities of daily living difficulties, being female, and living in suburbs and rural nonfarm areas.…

Compared health status and lifestyle characteristics of participants in senior health promotion program with those of nonparticipants from same Health Maintenance Organization enrollee population. Nonparticipation was associated with lower income, less education, and lower involvement in community organizations. Although nonparticipants smoked…

Examined religious participation among elderly blacks (N=581) using data from a national sample of black Americans. Three indicators of religious participation were utilized: frequency of religious service attendance, church membership, and the degree of subjective religiosity. Found that religious participation varied by gender, marital status,…