The Effect of Health Promoting Lifestyle Training on Elderly Happiness

Ageing is associated with many social and psychological changes that may lead to increase disease and disability, and reduce the level of happiness in older adults. Since health and happiness are related, and little research has been done on this issue, this study aimed to determine the effect of health promoting lifestyle training on elderly happiness.

This randomized clinical trial was conducted in 2017 on 72 individuals from the retiree associations of the Department of Education, Department of Social Security, and Health Centers in Ramsar. Sampling was done randomly with random allocation in two groups: experimental and control. Data was collected with demographic questionnaires, Oxford Happiness Inventory (OHI), Activity of Daily Living (ADL) and Abbreviated Mental Test (AMT). The OHI were completed before and after the intervention. Face-to-face training was held for four weeks. Data analysis was performed with the use of SPSS 18 as well as descriptive and analytic tests with a significance level of 0.05.

The mean score for healthy lifestyles and happiness before and after training intervention in the experimental group was 40.16±4.46 and 48.36±4.95, while in the control group it was 38.52±2.75 and 37.55±4.37, respectively. The results of the paired t test showed a significant difference in the mean score of both variables before and after the intervention in the experimental group (P<0.001). There was no significant difference in the control group (P=0.02).

According to the results, health promoting lifestyle training can be used as an easy and affordable solution to increase happiness in the elderly.