IMPACT OF NUTRITIONAL RISK ON SELF-CARE CAPACITY: SOCIAL SUPPORT AS A SOURCE OF PROTECTION FOR COMMUNITY-DWELLING OLDER ADULTS LIVING IN A RURAL AREA
Background:Loss of independence is a major concern for rural older adults. Older adults living inrural areas are at an increased nutritional risk, which can lead to functional impairments in self-care capacity.Identifying factors, which have a role in sustaining rural older adults’ self-care capacity, could help withmaintaining independence as long as possible. Objective:The objective of this study was to examine the effect ofsocial support as a moderator between nutritional risk and self-care capacity. Design:Cross sectional designusing convenient sampling. Setting:Rural Oklahoma counties designated as “non-metro” and having populationsunder 5,000. Participants:Participants included 171 community-dwelling older adults, 65 years of age and older.Measurements:Data were collected using self-report surveys on self-care capacity (using the Duke OlderAmericans Resources and Services Procedures), social support (using the Social Provisions Scale), andnutritional risk (using the Mini-Nutritional Assessment short form). Using hierarchical linear regressiontechniques, data were analyzed to explore the moderating influence of social support in the association betweennutritional risk and self-care capacity. Results:A significant interaction emerged between nutritional risk, socialsupport, and self-care capacity (β = 0.20 p < 0.05). Thus, the deleterious impact of nutritional risk on self-carecapacity was reduced by social support. Conclusions:Results provide further support of the “buffering-hypothesis” and have implications relative to the importance of accessible social provisions to enhance self-carecapacity and quality of life among older adults residing in rural settings.