Abstract:
This study is intended to determine the octogenarians’ beliefs and practices on nutrition, exercise, medical treatment, and socialization.
The study was implemented at Barangay Sebang, Buguias, Benguet. Qualitative descriptive participatory type of research was utilized in the study. Purposive sampling was used to determine ten (10) respondents of the study. A semi structured interview was utilized as the primary tool gather the data. The content of the interview follows the interview schedule as a guide, with additional probes or questions that were added. The data collected was analyzed using the data triangulation.
Results showed that Octogenarians’ beliefs on nutrition, exercise, medical treatment, and socialization are the following: they believe that nutrition is for strength, illness prevention, survival, prevention of hunger, and for health. On exercise, they believe that it is for strength, health, and illness prevention. On medical treatment, most of them believe that it’s for others disagree. And they believe that socializing enhances relationship, it would help during crisis, give strength, and prevent hurt feelings. Results showed that octogenarians’ practices on nutrition, exercises, medical treatment, and socialization are the following: they practice nutrition through eating what is available and taking food and water specifically the following: kinds of vegetable: sweet potato, sweet potato tops, taro tubers (gabi), kangkong, chayote, mushroom, bayakaw, string beans (utong), taro (pising); kinds of fruit include passion fruit, guava, avocado, pomelo, and digway; kinds of meat which involves chicken, pork, carabao meat, beef, wild deer, and dog meat. The frequency of eating meat is occasionally and its availability. Kinds of alcohol: rice wine and bugnay wine. The frequency on drinking alcohol is occasionally with the following cup measurement: 2-3 cups, 3-4 cups, 4 cups, 1 cup, 2 cups, and 4-6 cups. Kind of coffee: native brewed coffee. The frequency of drinking coffee is weekly with cup measurement of 7 cups, 14 cups, 4-5 cups, 2-4 cups, and 3-4 cups. They practice exercise through chopping wood, climbing, hiking, household chores, pounding rice, walking (barefoot), farm works, and playing. They practice medical treatment through the use of herbal plants but others do not practice. Kinds of herbal plant: lemon grass, guava, ginger, garlic, horse tail (puted-puted), and coronitas (bangbangsit). They practice socialization through chatting, joining neighbourhood activities, helping and comforting others.
