Elderly Health Journal
Volume:1 Issue: 2, Dec 2015

The decline of visual function with increasing age is a significant concern in elderly. Despite previous work on prevalence of specific ophthalmic pathologies, there has not been enough valid data about overall eye disorders in Tehran yet, and it is poorly defined and not underpinned by strong evidence. The purpose of this study was to investigate the common eye disorders in the elderly population of Tehran A total of 392 elderly community residents aged 60 to 96 were enrolled. The 278 older adults referred to Tehran’s Polyclinic of 6th Region of municipality and 114 older adults referred to the health centers of 9th Region of municipality between 2013 and 2014 were examined. All participants underwent an extensive ophthalmologic screening examination including cataract, diabetic retinopathy of optic nerve, macular degeneration, and glaucoma. The prevalence of various eye disorders was calculated as percentages of the total study population and categorized by age and sex. Of the 392 participants, 152 subjects (38.8%) had no eye disease. Common visual impairments in elderly were cataract (39.3%), macular degeneration (11.5%), diabetic retinopathy of optic nerve (5.6%) and glaucoma (4.8%). It has also showed cataract prevalence increased with age from (6.3%) in the 60-64 age group to (47.6%) for the patients 85years of age and older. Cataract is the most frequent eye disease in community dwelling older adults that should be considered at a younger age by health officials to provide preventive programs. Improving accessibility to surgery for the treatment of cataract among the old people will help diminish of untreated cataract that lead to visual impairment.

Advances in medical and health sciences have led to increase in the number of older people. The most common non- communicable diseases can be prevented by following a healthy lifestyle. This study aimed to investigate the lifestyle of elderly people by reviewing the literatures and background of the previous researches in order to obtain a holistic view about lifestyle. A fast literature review was conducted applying retrospective approach to identify the status of lifestyle among older people. For this purpose, the related references with keywords involving lifestyle, elderly people, aging, and multiple chronic conditions were electronically searched in databases All Academic, ISI web of knowledge, PsycNET, Social Sciences Citation Index, and PubMed from 2002 to 2015. 26 related articles were finalised and reviewed according to the study aims. The results showed that those people with an inappropriate lifestyle were more likely to die because of health difficulty reasons. Improving healthy lifestyle including dietary habits, controlling weight, physical activity, smoking cessation, managing stressful life events, and social capital were closely related with reduced risk of all-cause mortality. It seems that the awareness about the relationship between healthy lifestyle and incidence of multiple chronic conditions among older people may be effective in understanding of the potential health consequences of their performance, and also in modifying lifestyle.

Leisure activities are common among the elderly; however, the effect of such the activities on their mental health is poorly defined and not underpinned by strong evidence. This study aims to determine the prevalence of leisure activities and its relation to mental health in the elderly. A cross- sectional study was conducted and 400 community dwelling older adults 60 years and more with appropriate cognitive function (Abbreviated Mental Test score 7 and more), were recruited through multi-stage stratified cluster sampling in Tehran, Iran. Data was gathered by demographic questionnaire and Global Health Questionnaire (GHQ). The primary outcomes to measure were the prevalence of leisure activities, and GHQ score in subgroups. Data were analyzed by Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, ANOVA, independent t-test and multiple linear regressions.62% of participants were in their 7th decade (60-74 years), 56% (224) were female with mean age of 66.98±8.22, and 44% (176) male with mean age of 66.98±8.22. GHQ scores showed 65% of participants had good mental health (0-23)and 35% had mental health problems(24 and more).Mean of GHQ in participants (n=377) was 21.8± 11.37 (0-28). watching TV(77%), reading books(40.3%), walking (31.5%)and taking trip(36%)were more interesting leisure activities among older adults. Women, single, unemployed, alone and illiterate older adults had statistically significant(P≤0.05) upper GHQ scores. Understanding of relationship between type of leisure activities and mental health provides evidence for policy makers and health care planners to offer and facilitate a context in which older adults can improve participation in leisure activities

Biological changes impact the psychological and interpersonal function in late life. Therefore, the general health and well-being diminish with decreasing the ages. These changes lead to decreasing life satisfaction and meaning of life in elderly individuals. The aim of study is to examine the effectiveness of psychology positive interventions (PPIs) on meaning of life and life satisfaction among older adults. This study is quasi-experimental with pre and post-tests. 30 elderly residents were selected from Tohid nursing home in Tehran in 2015. The participants were assigned randomly to the control (15 subjects with mean’s age 74.66 ± 6.62) and experimental groups (15 subjects with mean’s age 76.73± 9.45). PPIs were conducted during 10 sessions (each 90 minutes per week). Then the questionnaire was administered at post-test. Statistical analysis was conducted by using the independent t-test and analysis of variance. The research instruments were the Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MLQ), the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), and the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS). The results of the independent t-test indicated that there is a significant difference between the pretest and post-test scores of life meaning (t= 3.85) and life satisfaction (t= 4.10) in the experimental group (p < 0.05). Also, there is significant difference between means of meaning of life (F= 19.88) and life satisfaction (F= 18.72) by eliminating the effectiveness of pretest (p < 0.05). The finding emphasized that PPIs is a kind of psychotherapy that addresses strengths, resources, values and hopes instead of deficits and weaknesses. Hence, it could be considered in therapeutic intervention to enhance the component of well-being as life satisfaction and meaning of life.

Iran and its aged society are facing some issues that significantly impact the current social structures in Iran and will continue to do so in the future. If such issues are ignored, Iranian society will be faced with the consequences of having problems among the aged population and their growing as elderly with negative impacts on communal relations, discrimination, and unjust distribution of resources based on a gender basis that will affect the aging in place (AiP) and growing as an elderly. The present study aims to investigate the AiP within aged people and modifying role of the gender variables within it. This study describes the current AiP of the aged people in Ahwaz city in the southwest Iran from a gender perspective. Individual demographic inquiries were used, i.e. socioeconomic status, gender, ethnicity, and health status. The population available for the study was citizens 60 years of age and older (N=51594) in Ahwaz city, the provincial capital of Khuzistan in the southwest Iran. Sampling method was cluster-ratio based on municipal zones, ethnicity, and gender. The sample size was 382 (195 male and 187 female) according to the Cochran formula and adapted to Morgan’s table. The data were analysed by descriptive statistics, F-test and geographical information system. The reliability of the AiP examined by Cronbach’s alpha was 0.84. Descriptive findings indicated the economically poor situation of the aged samples especially aged women, and their health status was moderated by low quality of nutrition and high prevalence of chronic conditions, for example. Arabs, Persian and Lor received low mean score of 59.41, (SD= 7.332), 58.09 (SD= 11.963), and 57.02, (SD= 7.963) respectively in the health status. The results showed AiP characteristics are poor and discrimination was especially significantly prominent among elderly females. Multiple regression analysis and its assumptions were carried out and the predictor ethnicity and gender were found to modify AiP at the first step. The GLM reported gender-ethnic discrimination that directly affected AiP of aged samples and high prevalent amongst elderly females as well. The current urban environment, in the southwest Iran, seems is unable to meet healthy needs of aged people. It needs to adjust upon gender and other relevant characteristics to monitor equality of outcomes for aged and minorities. The future research needs to focus on effect of ethnicity and gender-related issues on AiP, especially in developing countries like Iran.

There are many factors that affect the level of physical activity of the elderly. The current study aimed to assess the effect of accessibility of facilities on physical activity and body mass index of Kashan elderly. This cross-sectional analytic study sampled 400 of elderly older than 60 referred to 10 healthcare centers in Kashan, 2014, via multistage quota method. Participations were tested under demographic characters, body mass index level, and standard questionnaire of exercise benefit and barrier scale. Data were analyzed in SPSS version 16, descriptive statistic, Kolmogorov- Simirnov test, Spearman correlation test, Chi-Square and Ordinal regression is significant at the (P< 0.05). The 294(73.6%) participations were overweight or obese. Median and interquartile range (IQR) of physical activity facility factors was 75(33). The most prominent facility factor was physical ability to have physical activity, 333 (83.2%). Spearman correlation test showed a significantly inverse relationship (r=-0.233, P=0.001) between facility factors and body mass index of the elderly subjects. The ordinal regression result showed most predictive physical activity facility factors effective in regulating BMI of the elderly in Kashan may improve quality of life and working (OR=8.683, P=0.001). Results identified facility factors directly improve physical requirements to working and physical ability to meet such the requirements. To arouse enthusiasm and provide suitable equipment to achieve such the facilities and improve elderly health, local authorities in Kashan should consider the direct relationship between these facilities and BMI.

Recent medical and health care improvement caused a remarkable increase in human's life expand and subsequent increase in aging population. Beside life expectancy, quality of life is at the same importance, so the study aimed to explore the relation between quality of life and lifestyle among older adults in Yazd. The cross-sectional study was carried out on 270 elderly people over 60 years old. A cluster random sampling was used to recruit the participant from 10 selected clusters in the Yazd city with at least 27 participants from each cluster. Quality of life questionnaire short form (SF12) and Iranian elderly lifestyle questionnaire was used for data collection. Data analyzed with descriptive frequency distribution and also χ2, and Pearson correlation coefficient tests using SPSS software. The mean score of quality of life was 69.06 ± 20.97 (range 0-100) and the mean score of lifestyle was 161.91±13.95 (range 42-211). Quality of life and lifestyle had statistically significant relation with age, sex, education level, marriage status, retirement status, having job, income source, digestive problems, depression, joint pain, osteoporosis, hypertension, fall and sleep disorder. There was also a direct association between lifestyle and quality of life. Results indicated that most of the participants are at a desirable level of lifestyle and quality of life. However quality of life is in relation with some demographic factors and chronic conditions that must be addressed in interventional programs aimed at increasing the quality of life among aging population.