Home food safety program for the Georgia Older Americans Act Nutrition Program.

This study examined the effects of an educational intervention on improving home food safety practices (HFSP) in 136 older adults (mean age: 79 years; 74% female; 61% Caucasian). At the pre-test, adherence to 16 HFSP was variable and ranged from <or= 17% for checking temperatures of the refrigerator and cooked meats to >or= 76% for other practices. Following the intervention, participants were more likely to wash their hands with warm water and soap for 20 seconds before eating (76% vs. 90%, P <or= 0.01) and preparing food (76% vs. 92%, P <or= 0.01). In a series of regression analyses, younger age was the most consistent predictor of adherence to HFSP at the pre-test, and older age was the most consistent predictor of improvements in adherence after the intervention. This intervention improved several aspects of HFSP; however, additional interventions are needed to increase HFSP in older adults.