The aims of the study were: a) to actively involve elderly people as volunteers in the promotion of healthy diet, and b) to evaluate elderly people’s capabilities in operating as health educators and influence other elderly people’s attitudes and behaviour. The study was designed and implemented in the Open Health Care Centres for Elderly (KAPI) in two municipalities in greater Athens area during a twelve-month period, in two phases. During the first phase, twenty-seven elderly volunteers were trained, in order to become volunteer senior health mentors (SHMs) for healthy nutrition. SHMs then visited other KAPIs, where they presented and discussed basic principles of healthy diet with their peers. Both SHMs and their peers completed questionnaires, which were used to evaluate the project, and the project team and KAPI staff undertook observation for the same purpose.
Results showed SHMs as well as older people were interested in healthy nutrition and in exchanging information that relate to their health.