Prevention for elderly people: demand-oriented or problem-oriented?

Objective: To examine the association between self-expressed information needs and corresponding observed health and lifestyle issues in elderly people. Methods: Data were used from the 2006 community health survey in Utrecht, a medium-sized city in the Netherlands. Data of 1634 people aged 55 years and older were available for analyses (response 64%). Multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to examine possible associations between expressed information needs and variables on demographics, lifestyle risk behaviours, physical and psychosocial health. Results: Several significant associations were found between information needs and corresponding health and lifestyle problems. However, the explanatory power of the observed problems was generally low, explaining only 7% of the informational needs on lifestyle, and 17% and 28% of the informational needs on physical and psychosocial health, respectively. Conclusions: The findings suggest that prevention amongst the elderly should not be solely based on information needs, but also on observed lifestyle and health. Implications for the use of different approaches of prevention and behavioural models underlying interventions are discussed