ABSTRACT
Preventive health behaviors are crucial for older adults' well-being. This study examined the factors that influence the practice of positive daily health behaviors over time in a sample of older adults (N = 1266) and investigated whether explanatory factors differ by health behavior, gender or race. Physical activity, weight maintenance, smoking, alcohol consumption and sleep patterns were examined as dependent variables. Independent variables included demographic characteristics, baseline health behavior, health status variables, psychological factors and social network characteristics. Results indicate that age and health status are important predictors of preventive health behaviors. However, the factors that predict preventive health behaviors vary by behavior, gender and race. The independent variables included in this study were most successful in explaining cigarette smoking and weight maintenance, and least successful in explaining amount of sleep. In addition, results suggest that social network variables are particularly influential for women's health behaviors, while health status is more influential among men. Greater education predicts better health behaviors among whites, while formal social integration seems particularly important for the health behaviors of older black women. These results indicate that examining older adults' health behaviors by race and gender leads to a fuller understanding of these behaviors.
Subject(s)
Health Behavior/ethnology , Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice , Health Promotion/statistics & numerical data , Aged , Ethnicity/psychology , Female , Health Status , Humans , Life Style , Linear Models , Longitudinal Studies , Male , Middle Aged , Self-Assessment , Sex Factors , Social Support , United States/epidemiologyABSTRACT
The effects of dietary fatty acids on serum and cutaneous fatty acids of healthy dogs were evaluated under controlled conditions. Beagle puppies (n = 12) were fed a standard diet supplemented with sunflower oil (group A), olive oil (group B) or no supplementation (group C) for 12 weeks. There were no significant differences in food intake or growth rates between the three groups. Dogs in group A had significant increases (P < 0.05) in serum 18:2n6 (linoleic acid) and 20:3n6 (dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid), and cutaneous 18:2n6 with significant decreases in serum 20:4n6 (arachidonic acid) and cutaneous 18:1n9 (oleic acid) and 18:3n3 (alpha-linolenic acid). Dogs in group B had significant increases in serum 18:1n9, 20:3n6 and cutaneous 18:1n9 with decreases in serum 20:4n6, 22:4n6, 22:5n3 and 22:5n6, and cutaneous 18:2n6, 18:3n3 and 20:4n6. There were no significant changes in serum or cutaneous fatty acids for the dogs in group C. This study demonstrates that fatty acid supplements can be used to alter the serum and cutaneous fatty acid compositions of dogs.
