or citizens must differentiate between motivation and compliance (Resnick, 1991, pp. 17 20). Compliance implies manipulation, and people are not motivated through manipulation. Goal setting, exploring an individual's fear of failure, establishing rewards for success, the implementation of low stress interventions, the use of role models, and individual evaluation are elements of successful motivational efforts (Yen, 1994, pp. 50 51).
Both perceived health status and locus of control have been found to affect the motivation of senior citizens to seek and to maintain good nutrition (Foster, 1992, pp. 444 463). Research also has found that independently living senior citizens generally exhibit a strong desire to maintain responsibility for their own health, including nutrition (Viverais Dresler, and Richardson, 1991, pp. 55 71).
The decision of most senior citizens to participate regularly in a physical exercise regimen depends on educational efforts that persuade such individuals that personal health benefits will be derived from that activity (Sabin, 1993, pp. 97 114). Physical exercise in fact leads to improvements in physical vitality and physical functioning for senior citizens (Humerickhouse, Cassety, and Davis, 1993, pp. 35 46). There is evidence also that regular physical exercise can lead to improvements in the psychological well being of senior citizens (Panush and Holtz, 1994, pp. S74 S78). A large body of research also links regular physical exercise by senior citizens with benefits associated with a variety of debilitating and chronic diseases and conditions associated with aging in human beings (Fisher, Gresham, and Pendergast, 1993, pp. 1319 1326). Senior citizens must be made aware of these benefits of regular physical exercise through an educational process. The desired outcome of such an educational process is a decision by the senior citizens involved to engage in a program of regular physical exercise. ...