COMPUTERIZED NUTRITION PROGRAM FOR SENIOR CITIZENS

]THIS PROJECT WILL DETERMINE IF A MICROCOMPUTER-BASED INTERVENTION WILL BE MORE EFFECTIVE THAN TRADITIONAL NUTRITION EDUCATION IN IMPROVING THE FOOD CHOICES OF SENIOR CITIZENS. THE INTERVENTION WILL USE THE DINE WINDOWS DIET AND ACTIVITY IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM. THE FOUR-SESSION INTERVENTION WITH ONE MAINTENANCE WILL ASSIST SENIOR CITIZENS WITH BASIC NUTRITI8ONAL CONCEPTS, INCLUDING UNDERSTANDING ENERGY BALANCE, COMPARING THEIR DIET TO NATIONAL DIETARY GUIDELINES, SELECTING APPROPRIATE FOOD CHOICES, AND INCREASING PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. FROM 85 SENIOR CITIZEN RESIDENTIAL CENTERS, THREE GROUPS OF EIGHT CENTERS WILL BE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO ONE OF THREE STUDY GROUPS. SENIORS IN GROUP A WILL HAVE THE INTERVENTIONWITH MICROCOMPUTER EXPERIENCE, GROUP B WILL HAVE THE SAME INTERVENTION WITHOUT THE MICROCOMPUTER EXPERIENCE, AND GROUPC WILL NOT BE EXPOSED TO EITHER INTERVENTION AND WILL SERVE AS THE CONTROL (N=240). NUTRIENT DATA RELATED TO THE ACHIEVEMENT OF NATIONAL DIETARYGOALS WILL BE COLLECTED AT BASELINE, IMMEDIATELY AFTER, AND AT 6 MONTHS FOLLOWUP. ONE WAY ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE PROCEDURES WILL DETERMINE WHETHER SENIORS WHO HAD THE MICROCOMPUTER EXPERIENCE IMPROVED THEIR EATING AND ACTIVITY BEHAVIOR MORE THAN SENIORS WHO DID NOT HAVE MICROCOMPUTER EXPERIENCE. AWARDEE'S STATEMENT OF THE POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONSOF THE RESEARCH: THE MARKET FOR NUTRITIONAL EDUCATION FOR SENIORS IS EXPANDING. THE PROPOSED INTERVENTION CAN BE USEDANYWHERE SENIORS GATHER AND WILL PROVIDE AN INEXPENSIVE, EFFICIENT ALTERNATIVE TO IMPROVE THE FOOD CHOICES OF SENIORS. THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF PREVENTIVE MEDICINE HAS AGREED TO SUPPORT THE DISSEMINATION OF INTERVENTION.