The effect of physical activities on the quality of life, hope and life satisfaction among the elderly in Ilam city

Aging is one of the most important changes in people's lives and it seems that physical activity is one of the most effective factor in improving the quality of all aspects of the life of this era. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to assess the effect of physical activities on the quality of life, hope and life satisfaction among the elderly in Ilam city by using path analysis method.
In this research is descriptive- analytical method. Statistical population includes those who are aged 60 and above in Ilam city which 200(144 men and 56 women) of them were selected as sample population by using stratified sampling. In order to collect information we used international Physical Activities (IPAQ), Short Health Form Survey (SF-36), Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) and Adult Hope Scale (AHS) questionnaires. The data were analyzed using SPSS-22 and AMOS-20.
Findings showed that physical activity has effects on the different aspects of the quality of life by 0/34 of path coefficient on the physical aspects of the quality of life, by 0/30 of path coefficient on the psychological aspects of the quality of life, by 0/30 of path coefficient on the hope in life and by 0/25 of path coefficient on the life satisfaction.
Physical activities affect the quality of the life and having hope in life among the elderly, therefore, carrying out a regular physical activity in the retirement Caring centers and parks can be used as a tool to increase the elderly health and life development.