d toward a decreased caloric intake that is accompanied by an increase in body fat and a decrease in lean body mass (Hoffman, 1993, pp. 745-756).
Interventions designed to improve nutrition among elderly persons must differentiate between individual motivation and individual compliance (Resnick, 1991, pp. 17-20). Compliance implies manipulation, and people are not motivated through manipulation (Resnick, 1991, pp. 17-20). Goal setting, exploring an individual's fear of failure, the establishment of rewards for success, the implementation of low-stress interventions, the use of role models, and individual evaluation are elements of successful motivational efforts (Resnick, 1991, pp. 17-20; Yen, 1994, pp. 50-51).
Both perceived health status and locus of control have been found to affect the motivation of an elderly person to seek and to maintain good nutrition (Foster, 1992, pp. 444-463; Speake, Cowart, and Stephens, 1991, pp. 45-51; Tuohig, 1991, p. 90). Generally, elderly persons residing in urban areas have been found to maintain better levels of nutrition than elderly persons residing in rural areas (Speake, Cowart, and Stephens, 1991, pp. 45-51). Research also has found that independently-living elderly persons generally (urban or rural dwellers) exhibit a strong desire to maintain responsibility for their own health, including nutrition (Viverais-Dresler, and Richardson, 1991, pp. 55-71; Tuohig, 1991, p. 90).
Nutrition and High Blood Pressure Levels
Cardiovascular disease is a frequent chronic condition among elderly persons in the United States (Theis, 1988, p. 105). Hypertension is a contributing factor to cardiovascular disease. The prognosis of hypertensive patients depends upon the severity of the disease. Therefore, the basis for the diagnosis and evaluation of hypertensive patients is of critical importance. Disease severity in hypertensive patients depends upon the intera...