Time Usage Patterns of Iranian Older Adults and Its Association With Socioeconomic Factors

Objectives Time usage patterns of older adults is an important indicator of their health and quality of life. This study aimed to assess the time usage patterns of Iranian older adults and its association with social-demographic factor.
Methods & Materials This study was based on the secondary analysis of time use data of Iranians. The data were collected by questionnaire based on stratified sampling by Statistical Center of Iran in 2009. The sample size comprised 3516 Iranian elderly (60 years and older) who live in urban areas. The Chi-square, ANOVA, and multiple classification analysis (MCA) were used for data analysis.
Results The results indicated that Iranian older adults allocated the highest average time on activities related to personal care, leisure, unpaid works, religious activities, voluntary social activities, and paid works. The results also showed differential time usage patterns among different socioeconomic groups.
Conclusion Multivariate analysis indicated that age, gender, activity status, education level, living arrangement, and disability status are most important variables in the prediction of time use patterns.