Healthy behaviors, self-efficacy, self-care, and basic conditioning factors in older adults

A secondary statistical analysis of data from a study investigating the relations among health-promoting self-care behaviors, self-care self-efficacy, and self-care agency in an older adult population is reported (Callaghan, in press). Influences of selected basic conditioning factors on the practice of healthy behaviors, self-efficacy beliefs, and ability for self-care in 235 older adults is presented. The research instruments used to collect data for this study include the following: Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile 11 scale, Self-Rated Abilities for Health Practices scale, Exercise of Self-Care Agency scale, and a demographic questionnaire assessing basic conditioning factors. Statistically significant relations were found between the following basic conditioning factors and the study variables: education, income, health insurance, race, support system, routine practice of religion, medical problems, marital status, gender, age, and number of children. Community health nurses can use these results in directing interventions that promote the self-care and health of older adults.