Health behaviors of rural white, African American and native American elders

Objective: To describe the prevalence and correlates of selected health beh aviors among rural older adults. Methods: Data were collected from 114 elde rs (greater than or equal to 70 years) of 3 ethnic groups (whites, African Americans, and Native Americans) in two rural North Carolina communities, S elf-reported health behaviors included diet, tobacco/alcohol use, exercise/ weight maintenance, accident avoidance, and health care use. Results: High rates were reported for most behaviors and varied according to ethnicity, g ender, age, health conditions, and self-rated health. Poor agreement was fo und for actual intake of dietary fiber and fat and self-reported adherence to recommendations for those nutrients, Conclusion: These data add to the l imited information on health behaviors of rural elders, including ethnic mi norities, and indicate that these behaviors may be difficult to implement.