Mealtime Companionship and Morale in the Rural Elderly

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Abstract
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. The present study determined the relationship between mealtime companionship and morale among a representative group of 418 rural adults aged 65 years or older. Multiple regression analysis was used to determine if there were significant differences in the morale of older adults who usually ate alone versus those who ate with others. Controls were held on marital status, educational level, sex, and self-rated health. The data showed that mealtime companionship was of no relative importance to the morale of older adults when other variables were considered, especially health. The data supported the literature with regard to the greater importance of health to psychological well-being than social factors such as marital status, educational background, sex, and social contact, per se. This obs...

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