Analysis of the Attitudes of Iran's Council Representatives towards the Aging Phenomenon

The members of the Islamic Council contribute greatly to the enactment of elder laws. Therefore, the view of these people toward the elderly can play a decisive role in this matter. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the attitude of the representatives of the Islamic Council towards the elderly.

This cross-sectional descriptive-analytical research was conducted on 274 representatives of the Islamic Council who were selected by the whole number method in 2018. The needed data were collected through interviews and questionnaires. The research tools in this study included demographic information questionnaires and Kogan's attitude questionnaire on aging. The data were analyzed in SPSS software (version 22) using correlation tests (Pearson, Spermman), independent t-test, and one-way ANOVA.

The mean age of the participants was 53.49±8.02 years. The majority of MPs (93.8%) were male. The mean score of the attitude towards the elderly was 145.20±15.05, and the mean score of the negative attitude towards the elderly among parliamentarians was higher (62.28±12.36). Attitude towards aging showed a significant relationship with age (P<0.05) and gender (P=0.002).

Considering that the mean negative attitude towards aging was higher among parliamentarians, it is recommended to hold educational programs and workshops to familiarize representatives with the topic and issues of aging so that better policies can be developed.