journal articles
IMPACT OF NUTRITIONAL RISK ON SELF-CARE CAPACITY: SOCIAL SUPPORT AS A SOURCE OF PROTECTION FOR COMMUNITY-DWELLING OLDER ADULTS LIVING IN A RURAL AREA
S.E. Jung, J. R. Hermann, A. Bishop
J Frailty Aging 2013;2(3):145-149
Background: Loss of independence is a major concern for rural older adults. Older adults living in rural areas are at an increased nutritional risk, which can lead to functional impairments in self-care capacity. Identifying factors, which have a role in sustaining rural older adults’ self-care capacity, could help with maintaining independence as long as possible. Objective: The objective of this study was to examine the effect of social support as a moderator between nutritional risk and self-care capacity. Design: Cross sectional design using convenient sampling. Setting: Rural Oklahoma counties designated as “non-metro” and having populations under 5,000. Participants: Participants included 171 community-dwelling older adults, 65 years of age and older. Measurements: Data were collected using self-report surveys on self-care capacity (using the Duke Older Americans Resources and Services Procedures), social support (using the Social Provisions Scale), and nutritional risk (using the Mini-Nutritional Assessment short form). Using hierarchical linear regression techniques, data were analyzed to explore the moderating influence of social support in the association between nutritional risk and self-care capacity. Results: A significant interaction emerged between nutritional risk, social support, and self-care capacity (β = 0.20 p < 0.05). Thus, the deleterious impact of nutritional risk on self-care capacity was reduced by social support. Conclusions: Results provide further support of the “buffering-hypothesis” and have implications relative to the importance of accessible social provisions to enhance self-care capacity and quality of life among older adults residing in rural settings.
CITATION:
S.E. Jung ; J.R. Hermann ; A. Bishop (2013): IMPACT OF NUTRITIONAL RISK ON SELF-CARE CAPACITY: SOCIAL SUPPORT AS A SOURCE OF PROTECTION FOR COMMUNITY-DWELLING OLDER ADULTS LIVING IN A RURAL AREA . The Journal of Frailty and Aging (JFA). http://dx.doi.org/10.14283/jfa.2013.21