Salmand: Iranian Journal of Ageing
Year:2019 | Volume:13 | Issue:5 (supplement)|Papers Count:12

Objectives Considering the increasing population of the elderly in different societies, it is important to pay attention to their basic physical and mental needs and Quality of Life (QOL). This study was conducted to acquire a comprehensive view of the QOL of the Iranian elderly and its associated factors. Methods & Materials This is a review article with a systematic search. In November 2016, Persian and English language articles were searched in databases including Web of Science, PubMed, Magiran, SID, Iran Scientific Information and Research Institute (IranDoc), Iranpsych, Noormags with the keywords of “ elderly” , “ adults” , “ aged” , “ Quality of Life” , “ life quality” , “ QOL” , “ Iran” , and “ older” . The related articles were assessed by the study’ s inclusion and exclusion criteria and date compilation were taken until June 2016. Results Through systematic search, 70 articles in various areas of QOL for the elderly were found. These areas included interventions in the QOL of the elderly (11 articles), demographic factors related to the QOL of the elderly (21 articles), the QOL of the elderly patients (7 articles), the status of the QOL of the elderly in Iran (14 articles), the QOL of the elderly (10 articles), and the effect of social protection on the QOL of the elderly (7 articles). About 92% of the articles reported the status of elderly QOL as low and moderate and 7% of the articles reported it as high. The QOL of the elderly is influenced by social support, economic factors, social class, demographic characteristics, physical condition, place of residence, and educational and sports activities. Conclusion Based on the obtained results, educational, nutritional and sports interventions, marital life, high education, home life, religious orientation, social participation, social support, health status, high socioeconomic status, and appropriate employment could increase the QOL of the elderly.

Objectives The involvement of factors such as serum lipids and lipoproteins concentration has been reported as a potential risk factor for cognitive impairment. This study aimed to investigate the effect of underlying factors and serum lipid levels on cognitive impairment in the elderly. Methods & Materials This cross-sectional study was conducted on 1519 elderly in Amirkola City by the census method, from September 2016 to March 2017 (6 months). The data collection tools were a background information form of older adults and the mini-mental state exam. The obtained data were analyzed in SPSS version 23 using descriptive statistics and inferential statistics such as the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, the Chi-squared test, analysis of variance (1-way ANOVA) and Tukey’ s post hoc test. Results According to the results, 9% (13 elderly) of the study population had severe cognitive impairment. The results of the Chi-square test did not show a significant relationship between gender and cognitive impairment (P>0. 05). The significant differences were found between age, blood pressure, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoproteins variables with the categorized groups of cognitive impairments of the elderly (P≤ 0. 05). Conclusion Screening for cognitive impairments is one of the recommendations of this study. Early diagnosis and treatment of this disease, especially in high-risk groups such as women and elderly with hypertension and disrupted serum lipid profile can play an important role in controlling the disease and reducing the care burden.

Objectives Nowadays, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) provides a potential opportunity for communities by changing the concept of distance. Despite the development of communication and information tools and their widespread use, the statistics indicate a digital gap and very low use of these tools by the Iranian elderly. This study aimed to investigate the status of acceptance of ICT and its related factors by elderly people living in Tehran City, Iran. Methods & Materials The cross-sectional study was conducted in summer 2018. A sample of 330 elderly people living in Tehran was selected by multistage sampling method. All obtained data were analyzed by the Shapiro-Wilk test, point biserial correlation test, the Spearman correlation test, and the Pearson correlation test in SPSS 21. Results Most participants belonged to the age range of 60 to 70 years (61%), were men (67%), married (85. 5%), and had a diploma or lower education (72. 5%). The results show that the most popular ICT among the elderly were watching TV, talking on the phone, and readings news, while sending and receiving emails was the least popular one. The Mean± SD technology acceptance score among the elderly was 3. 15± 0. 75 which was above its theoretical average (score 3). The most important barriers of older people to accept ICT was "lack of interest", "feeling no need", and "lack of familiarity with the ICT tools". Acceptance of technology has been strongly associated with education (r=0. 325, P<0. 001), age (r=0. 236, P<0. 001), and available time to use ICT tools (r=0. 528, P<0. 001). In addition, the acceptance of technology has not been significantly correlated with the general health status of the elderly and their economic situation. Conclusion The technology acceptance status of older people in Tehran was higher than average and the intention to use ICT tools was significant among them. But the difficulty in using some of these tools has been one of the most important limitations in adopting ICT technologies. Additionally, the adoption of technology among the elderly is not influenced by their economic situation or the health status, and therefore all groups of the elderly can be considered target groups to enhance their ability to use ICT tools.

Objectives Today, the life expectancy of elderly people has increased all over the world. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of attention performance in predicting the elderly’ s sleep quality and quality of life. Methods & Materials The research design was descriptive correlational. The statistical population consisted of all elderly men over 60 years of age who live in the nursing homes of Ardabil City, Iran, in 2017. Out of them, a sample of 200 individuals was selected by the available sampling method. Pittsburg sleep quality questionnaire, the World Health Organization quality of life and Stroop questionnaire were used for data collection. The obtained data were analyzed by the Pearson correlation and regression analysis in SPSS-21. Results The findings showed that the Mean± SD of the subjects’ age was 66. 47± 6. 756 years and their quality of life and sleep quality Mean± SD scores were 73. 95± 21. 41 and 5. 55± 6. 36, respectively. Also, the Mean± SD scores of Stroop cards of error, correct, response, and interference were 6. 54± 8. 52, 94. 48± 7. 37, 121. 56± 61. 33, and 50. 44± 58. 08, respectively. The results of the Pearson correlation and regression analysis showed a significant relationship between performance in the Stroop test and the manner of attention with the quality of sleep and quality of life (P<0. 01, β =0. 351), and the way in which attention is given in the Stroop test can predict the quality of sleep (P<0. 001) and quality of life (P<0. 001, β =0. 308). Conclusion The performance of the Stroop test in the elderly by conducting training and performing different therapeutic classes will improve their quality of life and sleep quality.

Objectives Sleep quality is an important indicator of many geriatric diseases. As people age, changes happen in the quality and quantity of their sleep, which means sleep disorders and complications. This study aimed to determine the predictors of sleep disorder in elderly people living in nursing homes. Methods & Materials This cross-sectional study was carried out on a sample of 130 elderly residents of senior care homes in Ahvaz City, Iran. The samples were selected by the convinience sampling method and according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. Pittsburgh sleep quality questionnaire, general health questionnaire (12 questions form), knee pain questionnaire, social support questionnaire, and demographic characteristic checklist were used to collect the study data that were analyzed using stepwise linear regression analysis in SPSS22. Results In this study, 33. 8% (n=44) of the participants were men and 66. 2% (n=86) were women. The Mean± SD age of the subjects was 68± 7. 8 years. In total, 13. 8% of the samples had a low level of sleep disorder, 81. 5% moderate level of sleep disorder, and 4. 6% severe level of sleep disorder. Based on the fitted regression model (F=7. 24; P<0. 001), multiple diseases (β =0. 20), perceived social support (β =-0. 26), joint stiffness (β =0. 25), and knee pain (β = 0. 24) were the significant predictors of sleep disorder in the elderly people, and explained 18. 9% of the changes in sleep quality. Conclusion The results of the study showed that 86. 1% of the elderly had a sleep disorder. Perceived social support, joint stiffness, knee pain, and multiple diseases were among determinants and predictors of elderly sleep disorder.

Objectives Time use patterns affect humans’ health and quality of life. Different social contexts such as gender roles impact on time use patterns in each society. The purpose of this article is to examine gender differences in time use patterns of Iranian older adults. Methods & Materials The method of this study is the secondary analysis of the Iranian time use national survey data. A multistage stratified random sampling method was used to recruit the study samples. The study data were collected by completing the study questionnaires of 4285 Iranian elderly 60 years and older who were living in urban areas. Results In this study, 52% of the subjects were male and 48% female. The Mean± SD age of males respondents was 69. 2± 7. 8 years and for females, it was 68. 7± 7. 5 years. About 24. 5% of elderly women were living alone compared with 6. 6% of men. Also, 5. 5% of the elderly men and 6. 8% of elderly women were disabled and need caregivers. In addition, the findings showed that elderly men allocated more time to paid works (2 hours per day for men in comparison to 6 minutes per day for women). In contrast, elderly women allocated more time to unpaid works such as caregiving and services to family (4. 7 hours per day for women in comparison to 1. 7 hours per day for men). Also, elderly men participated more in active leisure than women (P<0. 05). Although the sleep time for the elderly women was more than that in elderly men, the time for eating, as well as self-care for men was more than women. According to the multivariate analysis, the gender differences in time use allocation were due to socioeconomic gender differences. Conclusion Gender differences in time use allocation are due to socio-cultural and economic factors. Thus, we suggest that appropriate social welfare policies be designed to reduce gender differences in time use patterns by taking into account these important factors.

Objectives Locomotive Syndrome (LS) refers to reduced mobility due to the impairment of locomotive organs. LS results in movement limitation, loss of balance, pain sensation, muscle weakness, and ultimately increased demand for long-term nursing care. This study aimed to investigate LS in Iranian elderly and its risk factors. Methods & Materials This descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted on randomly selected 320 community-dwelling elderly people in Qaem Shahr City, Iran, in 2018. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the University of Social Welfare. The study instruments were demographic form and geriatric locomotive function scale-25 Persian questionnaire. The obtained data were presented by descriptive statistics and logistic regression was used to investigate the correlation between the criterion and predictor variables. All analyses were done in SPSS-V23. Results The Mean± SD age of the participants was 69. 85± 7. 7 years. About 58% of the participants were in the LS group. Variables of age (OR=1. 05, increase per 1 year), female gender (OR=2. 7), positive history of chronic disease (OR=3. 4), and positive history of chronic pain (OR=4. 04) were the predictors of LS among elders. Conclusion Regarding the high prevalence of LS and its relationship with demographic factors (age and sex) as well as chronic disease and, chronic pain, screening methods to identify those at risk for LS and taking preventive measures are highly recommended.

Objectives To investigate the effect of 12 weeks of neck stabilization, core stabilization, and combined stabilization exercises on pain and disability among elderly people in Tehran City, Iran. Methods & Materials This study was a 12 weeks open-label clinical trial. A total of 18 elderly patients with chronic neck pain were randomly assigned into three groups: neck stabilization training (6 people), core stabilization training (6 people), and combined stabilization training (6 people). The severity of neck pain and disability before the beginning of the training, 8 weeks after training and one week after the completion of the exercises were measured using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Neck Disability Index (NDI) and Neck Pain and Disability Scale (NPDI). To investigate the effect of time, repeated measure analysis of variance was used to analyze the data in SPSS version 21. Results The Mean± SD scores of pain before and after neck stabilization treatment were respectively 6. 08± 0. 58, 4. 83± 0. 52 for VAS and 49. 17± 2. 86 and 39. 17± 2. 79 for NDI; and 56. 4± 2. 11 and 50. 0± 1. 64 for NPDI; those differences between pairs were significant. The Mean± SD scores of pain before and after core stabilization treatment were respectively, 6. 00± 0. 55, 4. 92± 0. 20 for VAS; 49. 67± 1. 86 and 39. 17 ± 1. 94 for NDI; and 56. 01± 2. 44, and 48. 92± 1. 16 for NPDI; those differences between pairs were significant. Also, the Mean± SD scores of pain before and after combined stabilization treatment were respectively, 6. 00± 0. 45, 4. 00± 0. 32 for VAS; 49. 83± 2. 23 and 37. 17± 2. 86 for NDI; and 55. 25± 0. 28 and 47. 51± 1. 44 for NPDI; those differences between pairs were significant (P<0. 05). Among the underlying variables, gender was the only significant factor in pain relief in the elderly (F=6. 21, P=0. 02), while other variables were not significant (P>0. 05). Conclusion The findings of this study showed that 12 sessions of neck, core, and combined stabilization training in the neck region could improve the tolerance and pain of the elderly with nonspecific chronic neck pain.

Objectives Demographic changes is one of the important issues affecting economic growth. The demographic structure can affect investment, savings, consumption, and ultimately economic growth. The present study aims to analyze the effect of the age structure of the population (by emphasis on aging) on the growth of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita in Iran. Methods & Materials This study has been investigated by library research method, using Iranian economic data published by Central Bank of Islamic Republic of Iran and Statistical Center of Iran and United Nation in 2018. In this research, the autoregressive distributed lag model method was used to investigate the effect of the population age structure on the economic growth of Iran in the period between 1987 and 2017. Results The results indicate that the effect of the growth of 0-14 year’ s old population is insignificant on the economic growth in the short term. The effect of the growth rate of population aged 14-64 years is positive and significant on economic growth, in both the short and long term. Also, the effect of the growth rate of the population older than 64 years on economic growth is negative and significant in the long term (r=-1. 37). All variables are stationary and only two variables, including the growth rate of the people over 64 to the total population and the growth rate of the 0 to 14 year’ s people to the total population are at the stationary level, and their first-order difference will be stationary. Conclusion An increase in the share of older than 64 years old people can slow down the economic growth in the country in the long term. In other words, increase in the proportion of this consumer group, reduces the marginal propensity to saving, thus makes the formation of capital troubled, and reduces capital per capita, so it will have a negative effect on economic growth.

Objectives Elderly people are at the highest risk for falling. In order to design and implement effective interventions and reduce the incidence of falling and its resulting injuries, the relative importance of each risk factor should be determined. This study aimed to determine how frequently different factors contribute to falls among the elderly served by one home health agency in Tehran. Methods & Materials This study was a descriptive-analytic and cross-sectional study. A total of 400 elderly were selected through random cluster sampling method from all 22 districts of Tehran City, Iran. The study data were collected through a researcher-made questionnaire of falling risk factors. The questionnaire consisted of two parts: first, demographic questions and second, questions related to falling in 7 dimensions (including 60 questions). The obtained data were analyzed in SPSS (V. 19) through descriptive and inferential statistics. Results In this study, female samples were 52. 5% of the participants (n=400) and the elderly mean± SD age was 78± 8 years. The total frequency of falling among the elderly was 28% (112 out of 400). Among the elderly who had fallen (n= 112), 64 (57. 1%) of them were female and their Mean± SD age was 80± 7. 5 years. About 82% of them fell down inside their homes, with these separate frequencies: bathroom (19. 6%), toilet (18%), bedroom (18%), and hall (16%). Parts of the body which were more frequently affected by falls in forms of injuries, bone fractures, dislocations, etc., were the pelvis (26. 8%), arms (22. 3%) and legs (19. 6%). Around 43. 8% of the falling among the elderly had led to hospitalization, 44. 9%, between 1 and 5 days, 36. 7% between 6 and 10 days, and 18. 4% between 11 and 15 days. The relationship between falls and the medical, lifestyle, or environmental risk factors was non-significant. Conclusion A high percentage of affected elderly were hospitalized after the incident, and among them a high percentage stayed in the hospital for a long time imposing considerable costs to the health system. Moreover, sensory and neuromuscular risk factors were the most frequent causes of falls which could be prevented by rehabilitation measures. Results showed that people who are afraid of falling have a higher risk of falling which requires adequate and special attention to this psychological risk factor.

Objectives Despite the increase in the elderly population all over the world, our knowledge is not sufficient for the status of their health in Iran. A comprehensive understanding of the health problems of this vulnerable group will help health planners to intervene effectively. This study was conducted to determine the physical health of elderly people in Tehran City, Iran. Methods & Materials In a cross-sectional study, 450 eligible elders were selected through a multistage stratified cluster random sampling method from district 5 in Tehran City, Iran. In order to collect the study information, a comprehensive “ need assessment” questionnaire for elderly people in Iran was designed and validated. After approval of the Ethics Committee of the university and obtaining informed consent from the elderly, the questionnaires were completed by the researcher at home of the participants. The obtained data were analyzed by logistic regression test in SPSS version 16. Results About 90. 9% of the studied elderly had at least one chronic illness with special treatment. The most prevalent reported disease was arthritis (62. 4%) and the most commonly reported disorders and health problems were anxiety and fatigue, with a prevalence of 57. 6% and 56. 4%, respectively. Based on the multivariate logistic regression model, after controlling confounding variables, the frailty index had a statistically significant correlation with the physical health status (OR=4. 433, P<0. 001). Conclusion Regarding the increasing prevalence of chronic diseases in older people, planning, and provision of services should be consistent with the current situation and changing needs of older people.

Objectives Parkinson Disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder affecting motor and cognitive functions. Cognitive impairments are related to different causes such as health indicators. This study aimed to examine the relationship between cognitive impairment and health indicators of patients with PD. Methods & Materials This study was a cross-sectional and descriptive study. By convenience sampling method, a total of 30 PD patients 60-70 years old, diagnosed by a neurologist, were recruited. Cognitive Montreal Test was administrated to measure their global cognitive function. Rey visual test was used to determine their visual memory and the Wechsler test (adult memory) was used to assess their verbal memory. Their sleep quality was assessed by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Demographic information and health indicators such as blood pressure were collected via interview. The obtained data were analyzed in SPSS 22. Results The results showed significant relationship between some indicators such as blood pressure with verbal memory (r=-0. 514, P=0. 004), and sleep disorder (r=-0. 421, P=0. 031), and visual memory (r=0. 368, P=0. 045). Conclusion This research revealed that blood pressure and sleep disturbances can affect memory function. Therefore, the cognitive problems in people with PD can be postponed by screening these factors and controlling them with early medical interventions.