BELIEFS ABOUT DIET AND HEALTH - QUALITATIVE INTERVIEWS WITH LOW-INCOME OLDER WOMEN IN THE RURAL SOUTH

Low income older women (N = 20) in rural South Carolina were recruited from congregate meal sites for qualitative interviews to assess beliefs about general health, physical functioning, and preventive health behaviors. A loosely structured interview guide of topics was used to encourage free expression of informants' ideas. The Ethnograph analysis package was used for data analysis. In response to open-ended questions, the women spontaneously shared their beliefs about diet and health. Implications for health promotion in rural areas are discussed.