Relationship of participation in health promotion behaviors to health-related hardiness and other selected factors in older adults

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of participation in health promotion behaviors to perceived health status, social support, and health-related hardiness. The conceptual framework that guided the study was derived from the Health Promotion Model developed by Pender. The sample consisted of 100 subjects, aged 65-89 years, who resided in the central region of Texas. The subjects were predominantly caucasian (97%) with 55% being married and 55% having more than high school graduation. The research instruments were self-administered questionnaires that consisted of demographic data, the Perceived Health Status Scale (Cantril), the Norbeck Social Support Questionnaire, the Health-Related Hardiness Scale, and the Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile. A semi-structured pilot was carried out with a sub-sample of 10 subjects. Findings revealed several significant relationships between the independent and dependent variables. Older adults who rated their health status as high reported a greater tendency to participate in health-promoting behaviors. Findings also indicated that as the subjects aged, they participated in health-promoting behaviors with less frequency, possibly related to their reported lower levels of emotional support. Stepwise multiple regression analysis revealed that health-related hardiness was the single best predictor for health promotion behaviors accounting for 29.9% of the variance. The three independent variables combined to explain 34.9% of the variance in health-promoting lifestyle. Recommendations for further research studies include replication of the study using a larger population and shortened scales. The relationships beween social support and health-related hardiness may be examined at the experimental level by testing the effectiveness of a community-based health promotion program which would include classes on health-related hardiness and introduce methods of strengthening social support networks.