Study of seniors identifies attitudes, barriers to promoting their health.

What information and skills do older persons need in order to enhance their health? What obstacles stand in the way of promoting their health? One way to find out is simply to ask them, as the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, did in a study undertaken as part of the Health Promotion and Aging Initiative sponsored by th Public Health Service nd Administration on Aging. Following are excerpts from an executive summary of "Aging and Health Promotion: Market Research for Public Education," a report of a research study that involved 15 focus groups of persons aged 58 and over, as well as a review of data on the media habits and the demographic characteristics of older Americans. The study, which was undertaken to serve as the basis for recommendations for national action, also offers insights that should be useful to program planners interested in meeting the needs and capturing the interest of older persons.