Life-Style and Cardiovascular Health Among Urban Black Elderly

This study assessed life-style behaviors in a cross-sectional random sample of urban Black elderly with and without cardiovascular disease. Those with cardiac disease reported behavior modifications for salt mtake, fat intake, and smoking but more often reported being overweight and performing less exercise than did those elderly without cardiac disease. There remains substantial room for improvement in health maintenance and health promotion behaviors in this population, suggesting the need of intensive educational interventions. Additionally, Black elderly with cardiac disease had worse scores on a depression scale and a health locus-of-control question, suggesting the need for psychological assessment and intervention in this population.