Hispanic elderly are a diverse and rapidly growing segment of U.S. elderly with generally poorer health and an increasing burden of chronic disease morbidity and mortality. These demographic and epidemiological trends will have an increasing public health impact. Chronic disease such as diabetes, heart disease, gallbladder disease and certain types of cancers are strongly influenced by lifestyle factors and behaviors, including obesity. Yet, little is known about older Hispanic health behaviors, attitudes, and perceptions, nor the influence of culture and migration on these health dimensions. Developing effective health promotion/disease prevention interventions for Hispanic elderly is essential to improve health outcomes, but existing knowledge and theoretical models do not provide sufficient information for culturally appropriate program planning and intervention. The purpose of this exploratory study is to characterize the lifestyle, health behaviors, attitudes and perceptions, social and health system factors and cultural differences of urban, multiethnic Hispanic elderly as a first step toward developing culturally-sensitive chronic disease interventions. Focus groups will be used to separately evaluate health for Mexican, Puerto Rican, and Cuban older adults across for dimensions: 1) health behaviors, attitudes, beliefs, culture and values; 2) diet, obesity and chronic diseases; 3) health and social services factors; and 4) health promotion intervention method preferences. A total of 24 focus groups are planned; 2 sessions/ethnic group X 3 ethnic group X 4 health dimensions (10 participants/focus group = 240 participants). Participants will be recruited from community agencies and sessions conducted in Spanish by bilingual/bicultural staff. Each session will be transcribed verbatim and translated into English for content analysis using Ethnograph software. Response patterns will be examined by ethnicity and demographic and acculturation variables, with emerging themes and constructs used to form the basic of a comprehensive, population-based survey of health behaviors and perceptions among Hispanic elderly and to guide development of culturally-sensitive health promotion interventions.
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