The effectiveness of an eight-week nutrition education program on sodium and health in 41 elderly subjects was investigated. A four-group experimental design was used consisting of the following groups: hypertensive treatment (HT); hypertensive control (HC); normotensive treatment (NT); normotensive control (NC). Effectiveness of the program was determined by changes in knowledge, changes in urinary sodium and dietary sodium, potassium and calcium intake, and taste preference for NaCl. / The program was effective in increasing knowledge with the HT and NT having a significant gain in pre- to posttest scores, (p $\leq$ 0.01 and p $\leq$ 0.05, respectively). A post-posttest, given six weeks after the nutrition classes, showed that HT retained more knowledge than NT, (15% and 6%, respectively). The only significant dietary change was an increase in dietary calcium in HT (p $\leq$ 0.05). Urinary sodium, dietary sodium and potassium decreased in the HT, levels of sodium and potassium increased slightly in the NT group. Nutrition education on sodium restriction did not affect taste preference for NaCl. A weak correlation (p = 0.057) was noted between sodium intake and taste preference for NaCl. Elderly Title III meal participants consumed more sodium, slightly more calcium and less potassium than nonparticipants. / The education program was more effective in the HT group than the NT. This result indicated that elderly with a medical need for dietary modification, such as hypertension, are more likely than elderly without a medical need to change dietary habits and increase knowledge from a nutrition education program. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 51-09, Section: B, page: 4282. / Major Professor: Nancy Green. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1990.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_78315 |
| Contributors | Colson, Janet Marie., Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | 137 p. |
| Rights | On campus use only. |
| Relation | Dissertation Abstracts International |
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