Relationship between Quality of Life and Social Isolation Among Older Adults in Aran and Bidgol

One of the indicators that well reflects the status of the elderly is the quality of life index. The results of studies have shown that loneliness and social isolation among the elderly have severe negative effects on their mental and physical health. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between quality of life and social isolation of the elderly in Aran and Bidgol.

This research is a descriptive cross-sectional study. 327 elderly people aged 60 to 70 years old in Aran and Bidgol who were selected from the comprehensive urban health service centers according to the inclusion criteria. Data were collected using the SF-36 Quality of Life Questionnaire, with a validity of 0.58-0.95 and a reliability of 0.9-0.77, and the Persian version of the 6-item Lubben questionnaire. The data are analyzed using SPSS statistical statistics in both descriptive and analytical terms.

46.8% people are men and 94.2% are in the age range of 69 years and younger. The average age of the elderly was 7.64 years.There is a statistically significant correlation between role limitations due to physical health status and emotional problems, emotional health, social functioning and general health with all subscales of quality of life. (P<0.05)

The results showed that the quality of life of the elderly in Aran and Bidgol was relatively high and their social isolation was also reported was relatively low. This confirms that in Aran and Bidgol, where the family structure is still traditional and the focus of the families is maintained. The inverse correlation between quality of life and social isolation also warns us to reduce parental social isolation to improve the quality of life of the elderly.