Mealtime Companionship and Morale in the Rural Elderly

The importance of mealtime companionship and social interaction to improvements of food consumption, nutritional status, and morale in the elderly have been stressed, but the research supporting this concept is minimal. To determine the relationship between mealtime companionship and morale, a representative group of rural adults (N=418) aged 65 years or older completed questionnaires. Possible significant differences in the morale of older adults who usually ate alone versus those who ate with others were analyzed using multiple regression techniques. When marital status, educational level, sex, and self-rated health were controlled, the data showed that mealtime companionship was of no relative importance to the morale of older adults. The data supported the greater importance of physical health to psychological health over social factors such as marital status, educational background, sex, and social contact. This observation suggests that efforts to alleviate problems associated with social isolation among the rural elderly should include viable health components that address the multiplicity of their health needs. (Author/WAS)