Browsing by Subject "elderly population"

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    Assessment of Obesity as a Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factor in a Geriatric Rural Texas Community - A Six Month Follow-Up
    (1999-12-01) Coustasse, Alberto; Rene, Antonio; Mains, Doug A.; Ramirez, Gilbert
    Coustasse, Alberto, Assessment of Obesity as a Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factor in a Geriatric Rural Texas Community – A Six Month Follow-up. Master of Public Health Track, Public Health Administration, December 1999, 22 pp., 9 tables, 9 illustrations, bibliography, 7 titles. The health fair approach was used as a method to establish individual and population health status baselines and to provide a mechanism to follow-up with an elderly population in a rural Texas community. A controlled trial sample of forty-four seniors was initially screened in a primary care clinic in August 1998. Patients were reevaluated at six months and results demonstrated a 46% increase in BMI [Body Mass Index]; 62% remained obese; 62% maintained elevated cholesterol or increased cholesterol values to abnormal values; 61% maintained or increased their BP [blood pressure] to abnormal values. A significant finding was that a change of one unit in the BMI correlated with a change of 19.88 mmHg [millimeter mercury] of SBP [systolic blood pressure] and 18.59 mmHg of DBP [diastolic blood pressure]. The societal economic impact of mortality and morbidity (without the benefit of target interventions) for the initial forty-four seniors was projected at & 74,949. Keywords: Health fairs; obesity; cardiovascular; cost; case management.
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    Enhancing the nutritional status of an older population: an educational intervention to improve the nutrition knowledge of persons over 60 living in a rural Texas community
    (2002-05-01) Lane, Bridget M.
    Lane, Bridget M., Enhancing the nutritional status of an older population: an educational intervention to improve the nutrition knowledge of persons over 60 living in a rural Texas community. Master of Public Health (Health Administration), May, 2002, 61 pp., 8 tables, references, 41 titles. A four session nutrition education promotion program was developed and implemented for a group of seniors in a rural Texas community to enhance the nutritional status of persons over 60 through educational intervention to improve nutrition knowledge. Nutrition knowledge was measured using pre-tests and post-tests (before and after short-term nutrition education). No statistically significant differences were observed between pre/post test results, although there was a directional improvement in several aspects of test performance. Nutrition education programs that can effectively translate healthy dietary recommendations into understandable concepts can result in improvements in nutrition knowledge, and possibly have a positive influence on dietary behaviors and health markers.