The relationship between functional independence and life satisfaction among Iranian community-dwelling older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study

The COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally changed the lives of older adults. However, the functional independence (FI) and the life satisfaction (LS) of older adults have received less attention.

This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between FI and LS in community-dwelling older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2021. Participants were 479 community-dwelling older adults randomly selected from public healthcare centers in southern Tehran, Iran. Data collection instruments were a demographic questionnaire, the activities of daily living (ADL) scale, the Instrumental ADL (IADL) scale, and the Life Satisfaction Index-Z. The Pearson correlation coefficient, independent samples t-test, analysis of variance, and regression analysis were used to analyze the data.

The mean scores of participants’ LS, FI in ADL, and FI in IADL were 11.94±5.11 (in the possible range of 0–26), 15±2.32 (in the possible range of 0–16), and 11.28±3.72 (in the possible range of 0–14), respectively. Around 55% of participants had low LS and only 2.5% of them had high LS. LS had a significant correlation with independence in ADL (r=0.133; P=0.004) and IADL (r=0.213; P<0.001). Independence in IADL and income significantly predicted 30% of the variance of LS (P<0.05).

Older adults had optimal levels of FI in ADL and IADL and a low level of LS. Healthcare authorities can improve older adults’ LS through strategies to promote their FI; such as formulating health policies, amending health system laws, and establishing insurance coverage to reduce costs.