Nutritional beliefs, attitudes and practices of elderly, rural, southern women

Six focus groups were held with 49 rural southern women, 92% of whom were over 65 years of age. Discussions covered influences on food choices, supplement use and meal frequency; problems with buying, preparing and storing food; participation in food assistance programs; nutrition information sources; and preferred methods of nutrition education. Data analysis revealed six major themes: Food preferences based upon taste and childhood familiarity; beliefs about benefits and detriments of eating certain foods; influence of health conditions on food choices; perceived barriers to purchasing, preparing and consuming certain foods; cues to action regarding food selection, supplement use and meal patterns; and nutrition information needs.