ASA - American Society on Aging

2001 Awards Programs
Recognizing Excellence in the Field of Aging

Award Winners

2001 ASA STUDENT RESEARCH AWARDS

The ASA Student Research Award is presented to graduate students for exceptional research relevant to aging and applicable to practice.

James John Bulot

Boston, MA

In his paper, "Identifying Individuals at Risk for Malnutrition in Community-Dwelling Elders," James John Bulot sought to determine indications of risk for malnutrition and how each affects the risks.

He adapted the Anderson behavioral model, which is often used to predict health status, health services and health practices, to predict malnutrition in elders. The data came from a 1993 survey that used an extensive probability sample of more than 8,000 individuals.

In his study, Mr. Bulot concluded that the following factors make adequate nutrition less likely: physical and mental impairments; difficulty with activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living; social isolation; dependence on others for food preparation and feeding; and difficulty in preparing meals.

Mr. Bulot's findings suggest several policy implications:

Encouraging older adults to reside in senior housing promotes healthy social interaction, reducing risk for malnutrition.
Since income was not determined to be a factor in risk for malnutrition, needs-testing programs such as commodity supplements and food stamps, which target nutritionally at risk individuals, need to be re-analyzed.

Mr. Bulot will complete his doctorate in gerontology at the University of Massachusetts, Boston, in December 2001. This study combines his professional areas of interest: technology in aging, senior housing, nutrition, and economics of aging.