Date of Award
Summer 1980
Document Type
Dissertation - Restricted
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Education
Abstract
An exploratory study was undertaken to identify the attitudes of well-elderly persons toward health education and to identify the characteristics or group(s) of characteristics present in persons having a positive attitude toward health education. It was believed that findings resulting from such a study would add to the body of knowledge concerning the elderly; would raise questions for more confirmatory analysis; and would be of interest to health care personnel working with this population, especially in the area of health education programming, A questionnaire was completed by 326 non-institutionalized persons sixty years of age or older, residing in Milwaukee County. The participants were from various geographic locales in the County and present at one of five types of sites. The sites utilized included: Milwaukee County Senior Centers, Milwaukee Community Housing Projects for the Elderly, church sponsored senior groups, a church sponsored housing facility and senior center, and private residence. Analysis of data was descriptive and comparative. Relationships among variables-were investigated using contingency table analysis and contingency table elaboration analysis. Five variables identified in this study as determinants of attitude toward health education provided the framework for data analysis. These variables were: importance given to health education, attendance at programs concerned with prevention of illness, attendance at programs concerned with treatment of illness, effect of health education on health practices, and seeking of health education programs in the community...