The Effect of Social Capital on COVID-Driven Anxiety Among Three Elderly Groups Based on Physical Activity Levels Before and After Social Distancing

COVID pandemic has led to the increase of anxiety level among the public, especially the high risk groups such as the elderly. Therefore, the identification of the solutions to overcome anxiety and the way it affects the elderly is a necessity. Accordingly, the purpose of the study at hand was to examine the effect of social capital on COVID-driven anxiety among three elderly groups based on physical activity levels before and after COVID pandemic. The research method was a mixture of causal comparative and correlational research methods. The statistical population of the study was comprised of all the elderly over 50 years old in Semirom city. The sample was consisted of 42 active athletic elderly, 42 inactive athletic elderly, and 42 non-athletic elderly, selected using purposive sampling method. A standard questionnaire was used for data collection whose reliability and validity was confirmed. Data analysis was done using Kolmogorov-Smirnov, multivariate analysis of variance, LSD post hoc test, Pearson correlation coefficient, and simultaneous multivariate regression analysis. The results showed that active and inactive athletic elderly were not significantly different in terms of social capital and its dimensions during COVID pandemic; however, their social capital was found to be more than that of the non-athletic elderly. The active athletic elderly experienced the lowest and the non-athletic elderly the highest levels of COVID-driven anxiety.  Moreover, the results demonstrated that the cognitive and communicative dimensions of social capital had negative, significant impact on COVID-driven anxiety. Therefore, it might be concluded based on the research findings that household sports during social distancing period reduce COVID-driven anxiety in the elderly, mostly through physiological and psychological effects.