In the United States, the increasing life expectancy and burgeoning older population have raised concerns about the adequate provision of health care for chronic medical conditions. One fundamental factor in the prevention and management of medical conditions is optimal dietary intake, which is notably lacking among older adults. Most researchers investigating factors associated with suboptimal diets limit their studies to developing nutritional risk profiles, and many conclude by advocating patient education. Using telephone surveys and in-depth interviews, this article identifies particularly vulnerable elders and explores the contextual and experiential pathways that place individuals at nutritional risk. Surveys of African American and white elders indicate that rural African American elders are disproportionately at risk of inadequate nutrition. In-depth interviews revealed four pathways to nutritional risk, including transitions in the social and physical significance of food, inaccessibility of resources, increased physical limitations, and inadequate or inappropriate dietary advice. Informants also identified a number of creative approaches to ensure a modicum of food security, including relying on supportive others, purchasing and preparation strategies, and hoarding. The article concludes by offering recommendations for improving nutritional status among elders that extend beyond the development of risk profiles and nutritional education.
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
Summer 2000
Nutrition|
October 15 2007
Patterns, Factors, and Pathways Contributing to Nutritional Risk Among Rural African American Elders
Nancy Schoenberg
Nancy Schoenberg
1
Center for Health Services Management and Research, University of Kentucky
Search for other works by this author on:
Human Organization (2000) 59 (2): 234–244.
Citation
Nancy Schoenberg; Patterns, Factors, and Pathways Contributing to Nutritional Risk Among Rural African American Elders. Human Organization 1 June 2000; 59 (2): 234–244. doi: https://doi.org/10.17730/humo.59.2.38274118p12043g4
Download citation file:
Sign in
Don't already have an account? Register
Client Account
You could not be signed in. Please check your email address / username and password and try again.
Could not validate captcha. Please try again.
Sign in via your Institution
Sign in via your InstitutionCiting articles via
MPAs AS PROTECTED DESTINATIONS: RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN OUTDOOR RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING FISHING, AND PERCEPTIONS OF MARINE RESERVES IN PUGET SOUND, WASHINGTON, UNITED STATES
Marc L. Miller, Richard B. Pollnac, Patrick J. Christie
RESPONSIBLE DRIVING IN THE AGE OF SMARTPHONES: APPLIED RESEARCH FOR IMPROVING ROAD SAFETY IN THE MOTOR CITY
Yuson Jung, Andrea Sankar, Kaitlin Carter, Yen-Ting Chang, Bianca Dean, Travis Kruso, Colleen Linn, Emily Lock, Craig Meiners, Molly Sanford, Haley Scott, Jasmine Walker
EDITORIAL: KEEPING PACE
Lenore Manderson