What We Think They Think

This qualitative study examined nutritional beliefs and practices of older women from two vantage points. Nine focus groups were held with N = 49 low-income women and N = 25 providers and health professionals who work with older women in two regions of a rural Southern state. Discussions covered influences on food choices, supple ment use and meal frequency; problems with buying, preparing and storing food; participation in food assistance programs; nutrition information sources; and preferred methods of nutrition education. Health profession als differed from elderly women clients in their views of perceptions con cerning women's eating patterns; social and cultural influences of food choices; major barriers to buying and preparing food; challenges of nutritional compliance for women with chronic disease; and older women's complementary medicine practices. Issues concerning long-term vs. short-term benefits of food choices and use of dietary supplements were also presented.