DEVELOPMENT OF A HEALTH RISK APPRAISAL FOR THE ELDERLY (HRA-E)

The purpose of this project is to develop a health risk appraisal for the elderly (HRA-E) and test its application in both medical and nonme dical settings. The HRA-E system consists of a questionnaire and softw are for computer-generation of personalized reports to participants, 5 5 years and older, and their physicians. Items in the questionnaire co ver a comprehensive range of content domains relevant to health promot ion in the elderly. The goal of the HRA-E system is to prevent functio nal decline. Samples of eligible subjects from the American Associatio n of Retired Persons (AARP), a group practice, and a senior center wer e extended invitations to participate. Those responding affirmatively to the invitation were given a questionnaire and evaluation form. Each person who returned the questionnaire received his or her personal re port and a second evaluation form. Four months after receiving their r eports, respondents were questioned about behavior changes during the interim. Preliminary findings, based on 1895 respondents, indicate tha t nearly all participants found the questionnaire easy to complete and were pleased with its overall length. In addition, most participants read their reports, and many planned to take action, based on report r ecommendations. In the next phase of this project, the intent is to re fine the questionnaire, extend the intervention protocols for longitud inal application, and evaluate its impact on health-related behaviors, medical care utilization, and functional decline.