Preventive Behaviors of COVID-19 Disease and Its Related Factors in the Elderly of Hamadan

The elderly are at risk of COVID-19, so preventive behaviors play an important role in reducing the incidence and mortality of this disease among this group. This study aimed to investigate the preventive behaviors of COVID-19 disease and its related factors in the elderly of Hamadan.

This cross-sectional study was conducted on 370 elderly people covered by retirement centers in Hamadan in the second half of 2021. The subjects were selected by multi-stage sampling method. The researcher-made questionnaire was used for data collection containing demographic variables and questions related to preventive behaviors. The data were analyzed by SPSS16 software using descriptive statistics.

The mean age of the participants was 64.11 ± 4.47 (ranging from 60 to 87 years). They were in a good condition in terms of refraining from handshakes or kisses and frequent hand washing with soap and water, and they were in unfavorable condition in terms of using gloves. There was a significant relationship between gender, occupation, and death of spouse or children with preventive behaviors.

It is necessary to identify the factors affecting the performance of preventive behaviors in order to increase these behaviors in the elderly as one of the high-risk groups.