The response of an elderly audience to nutrition education articles in a newspaper for seniors

Abstract

This study monitored a nutrition education project that sought to provide accurate, understandable nutrition information to senior citizens by publishing articles in a free monthly newspaper that is targeted and distributed to an elderly audience in south central Kansas. Recipients of the newspaper are 60 years of age or older. Using a systematic sampling procedure from a random start, we obtained a sample of the newspaper's readership from the total readership of 38,000. In conducting telephone interviews with our sample population (n = 297), we obtained the following information: Nutrition articles attracted many readers (68.4% read at least one of five monthly articles); of those that reported reading the article(s), 25.7% also reported changing their eating or food-buying habits as a result of the articles; the three most frequently used sources of nutrition information were physicians, newspapers, and books/magazines; and a majority (75.0%) of the sample felt food choices were limited by income. This study demonstrated that a “senior” newspaper that provides nutrition information targeted to an elderly audience can develop a substantial readership while providing nutrition information that can influence reported eating and food-buying behaviors.