Juliana McDonald

Meaning and management of food security among rural elders

Food insecurity is the limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods, or limited or uncertain ability to acquire acceptable foods in socially acceptable ways. This study uses fixed response and textual data obtained through in-depth interviews with adults 70 years and older from a multiethnic population in rural North Carolina to examine the incidence of food insecurity and how older adults experience food insecurity and maintain food security. We interviewed 145 elders up to five times over the course of 1 year. Responses to standard food insecurity questions indicate that only 12% of older adults experience food insecurity. However, analysis of textual data reveals common themes concerning food insecurity that suggest that these questions may underestimate the number of rural elders who are food insecure and not tap the potential vulnerability of others who are dependent on precarious nutritional self-management strategies to meet their needs.

Faith and health self-management of rural older adults.

This analysis uses in-depth interview data collected from 145 AfricanAmerican, European American and Native American men and women aged 70and older who reside in two rural North Carolina counties to understand therole of religious faith and prayer in the health self-management of theseolder adults. The analysis addresses three specific questions: how do theseolder adults use religion to help them manage their health; are there ethnicand gender differences in the use of religion; and are differences in healthstatus related to differences in the use of religion? The integral role ofreligion in the lives of these older rural adults is an overarching themepresent in the interview texts. Six major themes link religion and healthself-management: (1) prayer and faith in health self-management, (2)reading the Bible, (3) church services, (4) mental and spiritual health, (5)stories of physical healing, and (6) ambivalence. Faith and religiousactivities provide an anchor in the lives of these older adults. There is littlevariation in the use of religion for health self-management by gender,ethnicity or health status. These results suggest that the strength ofreligion in rural culture may limit the effectiveness of general religiosityscales to discern the relationship of religion to health and health behaviorin rural populations.

The social and nutritional meaning of food sharing among older rural adults

Abstract In most societies, the gift of food conveys social meaning, as well as nutritional sustenance. While food sharing has been widely noted, there has been little focused study of this practice among older adults in the US, who, as a group, are considered nutritionally vulnerable. We completed in-depth interviews with 145 adults (African American, European American, and Native American) aged 70+ years in rural North Carolina. Our objectives are (1) to describe the types of food shared by gender and ethnicity, (2) to identify values and meaning elders associate with giving and receiving food, and (3) to discuss the nutritional and social contribution food sharing makes to the lives of these rural elders. All elders participated in food sharing, as givers, recipients, or both. It is valued by these elders as a way to maintain reciprocity in social relations and to create a feeling of community membership. For older adults, receiving food gifts may augment a diet limited by income and functional status.

Health Locus of Control Among Rural Older Adults

Abstract The Multidimensional Health Locus of Control (MHLC) is a commonly used measure of health management orientation. Three general domains have been identified from MHLC: chance, internal, and powerful others. These domains have been used to identify degree of adherence to health behaviors such as weight loss, hypertension and diabetes control, and physical activity. However, there have not been many studies of the degree of adherence to health-promoting behaviors among older adults. This study examined MHLC among 76 older white, African American, and Native American adults in two rural communities. A wide variety of MHLC typologies were observed in this population. Associations of demographic and health characteristics with MHLC were found which may be useful for researchers and health care professionals in understanding these health management orientations for older rural adults.

Culture and aging

An attempt is made to integrate the two diverse concepts viz., ‘culture’ and aging based on different theoretical perspectives. During the course of life, individual learns to imbibe cultural ‘norms’ and ‘experiences’. Thus ‘chronological’ age and ‘cultural’ age are related yet distinct entity. Age stratification leads to formation of a ‘age-based subculture’, which brings with it varied negative implications.

Aging and agricultural practices: Robeson County, North Carolina

Aging is a significant influence on how farmers shape agricultural practices but is inadequately discussed in agricultural literature. Farmers all over the world in both developed and developing countries are aging. This paper presents preliminary results from a study which examines how farmers change their agricultural practices as they get older. This issue is of importance because there are fewer and older farmers in the world and their decisions directly influence the worlds food supply. By understanding how farmers respond to getting older we can better address the needs of older farmers, to help younger farmers continue to farm and inform those who work with farmers in various organizations and services.