Lifestyle and Factors Associated with the Elderly People Referred to the Pension Fund

Abstract

Introduction: The world's elderly population is increasing; along with this growth, their health problems gain importance. Meanwhile, healthy lifestyle is a valuable resource for reducing the incidence of health problems and their consequences. It can enhance recovery, deal with life stressors and improve the quality of life. Objective: The present study aimed to assess the lifestyle of elderly people and factors related to it in individuals who were referred to the pension fund in Rasht city. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study in which 384 members of the pension fund in Rasht city participated. The data collection tools included the demographic questionnaire, the lifestyle questionnaire, including 5 domains of lifestyle and the medical outcomes study-social support survey (MOS-SSS). Data was collected through interviews and then analyzed using the descriptive and inferential statistics, ANOVA, t-test, Spearman's correlation coefficient and regression model. Results: As many as 65.6% of the sample was men and 34.4% women in the age group of 60-65 years. The mean score of lifestyle was 123.82. The results indicated a statistically significant relationship between the lifestyle of elderly people and the absence of chronic illnesses (p=0.022), education level (p=0.006) and housing status (p=0.022). Regression analysis showed that housing, income and social support conditions are factors associated with lifestyle (R² = 0.15, p=0.0001). Conclusion: It was found that the level of education and social support is among the effective factors influencing lifestyle of elderly people. As the lifestyle of most individuals was at a moderate level, it is necessary to conduct training programs of healthy lifestyle for the elderly seriously.

Association Between Perceived Social Support and Mental Health Status Among Older Adults

“…There is a relationship between PSS and mental health in total, which was confirmed in our study. Social support is one of the effective factors influencing the lifestyle of older adults [25]. The study findings are consistent with other studies that emotional support has the greatest effect on improving mental health and lessening stress and depression among older adults [3,26].…”

Healthy Lifestyles Associated With Socioeconomic Determinants in the Older Adult Population

“…Different studies 32 - 34 similarly conclude that the lifestyle of older adults is significantly associated with sociodemographic variables such as gender, age, education, income level, type of housing, and housing situation.…”

“…Another study carried out in Iran also reported significant differences between the lifestyle of the elderly in terms of marital status, cohabitation status, and economic and educational level (P ≤ .05), 30 therefore, the elderly who are married live in single-family homes, live in a nuclear family, have their own home, a stable economic situation, and a good diet are considered positive factors for healthy aging. 31 Different studies [32][33][34] similarly conclude that the lifestyle of older adults is significantly associated with sociodemographic variables such as gender, age, education, income level, type of housing, and housing situation.…”

The effect of a supportive program on coping strategies and stress in women diagnosed with breast cancer: A randomized controlled clinical trial

“…Scoring was based on Likert scale (1-5), and the range of total scores was 19-95. The reliabilities of this questionnaire were approved by the Cronbach's alpha for emotional support, informational support, tangible support, positive social interaction and kindness at 0.96, 0.92, 0.94, 0.91 and 0.97, respectively (Barzegar et al, 2017;Schmidt et al, 2012;Sherbourne & Stewart, 1991).This questionnaire was completed by all participants in both groups at the beginning of the present study. Three participants withdrew from the intervention group in this study and data retrieved from 57 participants (27 participants in intervention group and 30 participants in control group) were finally analysed (Figure 1).…”