THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN NEGATIVE AND POSITIVE RELIGIOUS COPING AND LEVEL OF HOPE AMONG THE ELDERLY REFERRING TO DAY CENTERS IN SHIRAZ

Aging is accompanied by a reduction in physical and psychological health, disability, and social isolation, which causes hopelessness in the elderly. Life expectancy can strengthen the motivation for moving towards desirable goals. Religious coping, by adopting cognitive and behavioral strategies, helps individuals to manage emotional tension and physical discomfort. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between negative and positive religious coping and level of hope among the elderly referring to the elderly day centers in Shiraz.
This cross-sectional correlation study was performed on 200 elderly people who had been referred to the elderly day centers in Shiraz-Iran. The participants were selected through convenience sampling method. The data collection tool included demographic data questionnaire, Hope questionnaire, and a short questionnaire for religious coping. Data were analyzed by SPSS software version 19 using descriptive and analytic statistics including independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficient, and linear regression test.
The mean score of hope was 48.7 with a standard deviation of 8.23 which indicated moderate level of hope in the studied subjects. Results also showed a significant correlation between positive religious coping (r = 0.403, p Considering the role of positive religious coping strategies in promoting hope, it is better to pay more attention to this subject in future planning.