The Comparison of Happiness in Active and Inactive Old Men and Women in Tehran

This study attempted to evaluate the effect of engagement with physical activity on happiness of elderly men and women in Tehran city. The study population included all the elderly in 22 regions of Tehran city and 400 subjects were selected by multistage cluster sampling method as the sample of the study. To discriminate active from inactive elderly subjects, Sharkey Physical Activity Questionnaire and to determine the amount of their happiness, Oxford Happiness Inventory (OHI) was used. The reliability and validity of the questionnaires were confirmed. All participants were more than 60 years old and had no psychological and physical disorders. After the questionnaires had been distributed and then collected and the raw data had been classified, SPSS13 software was used to analyze the data. The results of MANOVA at (P<0.0071) showed that active subjects significantly gained higher scores in all the happiness subscales such as life satisfaction, joy, selfesteem, control, efficiency, calmness and totally happiness than inactive subjects while gender and interaction of gender and activity level did not have any significant effect on happiness. Therefore, it can be stated that one of the factors influencing happiness in the elderly is physical activity.