The Role of Loneliness and Positive Meta-emotion in Predicting Life Expectancy of Elderly Men

Considering to the growing Iran’s elderly population and their physical and psychological problems, investigation life expectancy and its related factors in elderly is necessary. As a result, present study aimed to investigate the role of loneliness and positive meta-emotion in predicting life expectancy of elderly men.

This was a descriptive correlational study. The research population was elderly men of Neyshabur’s Ali-ebn AbiTaleb’s elderly home in 2018 year. Sample size was calculated based on Cochran formula 132 people who after reviewing the inclusion criteria were selected by available sampling method. The research tools were the positive meta-emotion subscale and questionnaires of life expectancy and loneliness. Data were analyzed by methods of Pearson correlation and multiple regression with stepwise method in SPSS-23 software.

The findings showed that there was a negative and significant relationship between the loneliness with life expectancy of elderly men (r=-0/686) and a positive and significant relationship between the positive meta-emotion with their life expectancy (r=0/787). In addition, loneliness and positive meta-emotion significantly could predict 74/1 percent of variance of life expectancy of elderly men, who in this predicting the role of positive meta-emotion was higher than loneliness (P<0/01).

Based on the findings and importance of life expectancy, to elderly home officials and specialists recommended that for promote the life expectancy of elderly men increase their positive meta-emotion and decrease their loneliness, which for this purpose can be used from happy and diverse camps and talking and interacting with elderly.