FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH HEALTH BEHAVIOR-CHANGE AMONG RESIDENTS 50 TO 96 YEARS OF AGE IN RANCHO-BERNARDO, CALIFORNIA

Alterations in personal health habits can prevent disease and reduce morbidity and mortality. We examined the association between self-reported healthy behavioral change and age, sex, chronic disease, plasma cholesterol, and body mass index in an older Caucasian population in southern California. Overall, about two thirds of respondents reported decreased dietary salt or fat intake over the last 15 years, whereas one third reported increased frequency of exercise. Women were more likely than men to report increasing exercise, changing diet, or reading self-help materials. Individuals 50-69 years of age reported more positive health behavior changes than those 70 years and older. Those with diabetes and hypertension were more likely to decrease salt intake, but less likely to increase exercise than those without disease. Hypertensive and diabetic men, but not women, were also more likely to change their diet or read self-help materials than their peers without disease. The presence of risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as obesity, elevated serum cholesterol, diabetes, and hypertension, were generally associated with positive alterations in diet and inversely related to increasing exercise.