فصلنامه سالمند
پیاپی 61 (بهار 1400)

 The present study aimed to review the effects of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on the elderly. In this study, we reviewed topics, such as the causes of COVID-19severity in the elderly; the psychological problems of the elderly; the relationship between comorbidities and COVID-19 severity, and the comparison of COVID-19 with other pandemics.

Methods & Materials: 

This systematic review study was conducted in 2020 by searching in international Internet search databases. Boolean Operator (AND, OR) was used for a combined search without a time limit. The search strategy was limited to Persian and English articles using the following keywords: “older adults, COVID-19, psychological problems, social isolation, elderly abuse, ageism”. Finally, based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria of the study, the remaining 58 studies were included in the study. 

 The results of the studies were extracted and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the elderly were examined in 8 parts, as follows: Why COVID-19 is more common in the elderly and has more complications; what are the mortality and complications of COVID-19 in the elderly; COVID-19 and underlying diseases; psychological problems caused by COVID-19 in the elderly; COVID-19 and abuse in the elderly; COVID-19and ageism in the elderly; the comparison of COVID-19 with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), and influenza epidemics in the elderly, and care for the elderly during the COVID-19 pandemic.

 The COVID-19 pandemic poses serious challenges for the elderly globally. To address these challenges, everyone must work, from government officials to individuals and families. Governments should enact laws that minimize the potential age-related abuse and discrimination and provide equal opportunities for all society members, regardless of age or gender. Families should also be aware of the increasing social isolation of the elderly and keep in touch with them.

 The present study aimed to discover the lived experiences of the older adults from quarantine during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Methods & Materials: 

This qualitative study employed a content analysis method. Sampling was performed in 10 subjects using a purposive sampling method and continued until data saturation. Semi-Structured face-to-face interviews were used to collect the necessary data. The texts of the interviews were analyzed by qualitative method.

 As a result of the interviews, the two main themes of negative outcomes with the sub-themes of illness anxiety, low mood, death anxiety, interpersonal conflicts, social isolation, treatment limitations, and reduced physical activity as well as the main themes of positive outcomes with the sub-theme of lifestyle improvements were discovered. Each of the above-mentioned themes had several supporting semantic units.

 The themes discovered based on lived experience provided useful information about the effects of quarantine on biopsychological health and quality of life of the elderly; these characteristics can be considered in treatment planning and measures for this group.

 Epidemics create extensive socio-behavioral changes in all areas, sport is no exception. The current study aimed at understanding the lived experience of athletic older adults from the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. 

Methods & Materials: 

The present qualitative research applied a phenomenological approach. The study participants were 16 athletic older adults in Tehran City, Iran who were selected by the purposive sampling method. Through in-depth and unstructured interviews, the required data were collected. The obtained data were analyzed using the seven-step Diekelman’s (1993) approach. 

According to the obtained data, 4 categories of meanings were identified about the lived experiences of the explored elderly from the COVID-19 pandemic. These categories included the experiences of psychosocial isolation and thinking about death; the marginalization of older adultchr('39')s sports; mood swings and lifestyle changes, and finding opportunities for sports activism.

 These concepts of experiences in the life-world of athletic older adults in Tehran from the COVID-19 pandemic were the constitutions of their social action. In the case of proper analysis and application, they can be helpful in better managing professional sports in epidemics.

 The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)pandemic could be considered as an uncontrollable stressful public health crisis. The ease of transmission of COVID-19 and its potential to kill older adults could affect older adultschr('39') Subjective Wellbeing (SWB). This study aimed to assess SWB, and investigate the risk factors associated with declined SWB in the elderly during the COVID -19 outbreak. 

Methods & Materials: 

In this cross-sectional study, a total of 400 older adults (age: >60 years) were studied from April 4 to June 20, 2020, in Mashhad City, Iran. In this study, the multistage sampling method was used. In the first stage, 5 healthcare networks were considered as 5 clusters. Next, from each healthcare network, one healthcare center was randomly selected and considered as a cluster. Then, to reach the desired number of samples, 80 subjects were randomly selected per healthcare center and entered into the study. After obtaining permission for entrance to the healthcare centers from the Vice-Chancellor of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, the researcher in charge of research referred to the healthcare centers; after obtaining permission from the center officials, the researcher collected the telephone numbers of the elderly from their records and completed the demographic and main questionnaire used by telephone for all study participants. The questionnaires were completed in June 2020. Each day, 20 elderly were examined; accordingly, except for the 10 days off in June 2020, the questionnaires were completed in the remaining 20 days of the month. The SWB of the elderly was assessed using the Persian version of The 5-item World Health Organization Well-Being Index (WHO-5). The obtained data were analyzed in SPSS using descriptive statistics, Chi-squared, and logistic regression tests at the significance level of 0.05.

 The Mean±SD age of the study participants was 66.7±5.8 years. Of the total research participants, 224(56%) were females and 176(44%) were males. The mean±SD SWB scores in the explored elderly were 44.8±24.7. Furthermore, the SWB score in 285(71.2%) of the study sample was <50, indicating low an SWB. Multivariable logistic regressions were used to identify associations between the SWB and contextual variables. Loneliness (OR=8.28, 95%CI: 4.79-14.31), chronic illness (OR=23.77, 95%CI: 13.42-42.08), isolation (OR=8.03, 95%CI: 3.72-17.30) ,and physical inactivity (OR=7.37, 95%CI: 2.98-18.18) predicted lower SWB in the study subjects. 

 The present research results indicated that the SWB of the examined elderly was undesirable concerning the COVID-19 crisis. Thus, to maintain and improve the SWB of older adults at times of major life events and threats, like the COVID-19 pandemic, the adoption of coping strategies should be considered.

 Low media literacy and exposure to media-produced content during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic can affect the health of people in the community. This study aims to investigate the psychological effects of media use on the mental health of community-dwelling older adults.

Methods & Materials:

 In this descriptive-analytical study with a cross-sectional design, 200 elderly people aged ≥60 years participated who were selected from daycare rehabilitation centers and retirement centers in Kerman, Iran in 2020 using a convenience sampling method. Data were collected using a demographic form (Surveying age, gender, education, occupation, marital status, income, and media use), and the 12-item General Health Questionnaire.

 The mean age of participants was 66.60 ± 5.08 years. More than three-quarters of them were following the latest COVID-19 news via media (Local radio and television). Most of them (77.4%) had poor mental health status. Higher educational level (P<0.001), employment (p=0.003), and low frequency of media use (P<0.001) were the protective factors against poor mental health. High-frequency media use was a risk factor for the mental health of older adults during the COVID-19 outbreak.

 The mental health of community-dwelling older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic is affected by media use and its frequency. It is recommended that older adults should avoid following the latest COVID-19 news, especially those from unreliable sources. Moreover, media managers should have more control over the news related to the COVID-19.

 The association of comorbidity diseases, such as diabetes and hypertension with the severity of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been repeatedly assessed. However, less research has specifically addressed the elderly. This study aimed to describe the demographic and clinical characteristics and evaluate the relationship between comorbidities, and the rates of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) hospitalization and death due to COVID-19 in the elderly.

Methods & Materials: 

This retrospective study was conducted in elderly patients with COVID-19 admitted to Baharloo Hospital. Demographic information, types of underlying diseases, and need for hospitalization in the ICU or death in hospital among the hospitalized patients from March 2020 to July 2020 was extracted from the COVID-19 hospital database. The logistic regression model was used to estimate the Odds Ratio (OR), as a separate measure of the association between the research variables’ outcomes (death & hospitalization outcomes in the ICU).

 A total of 522 elderly patients were included in the study. Approximately 77% (n=422) of the elderly survived and 23% (n=100) died. The study participants’ mean±SD age was 72.55±8.44 years. besides, and about 54%(n=281) were males. Logistic regression model results suggested that the odds of death in the study participants with ≥2 underlying diseases equaled 1.69 (OR=1.69, 95%CI: 0.97-2.91, P=0.04). Moreover, the odds of ICU hospitalization in them was 2.26 (OR=2.26, 95%CI: 1.34-3.81, P=0.002) time higher than their counterparts who did not have underlying diseases, i.e., statistically significant.

 Our results are expected to impact preventive interventions and take a more targeted approach to prioritize older patients with risk factors, rather than adopting calendar age policies as a general indicator for risk assessment.

 The outbreak of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has influenced all age groups; however, the risk of mortality increases with age. Several factors impact the development of this disease. This study aimed to determine the relationship between some risk factors in the development of COVID-19 among community dwellers of ≥50 years of age.This cross-sectional study was performed at Shahroud University of Medical Sciences from April 1, 2019, to June 20, 2020. 

Methods & Materials:

 This cross-sectional study was conducted on individuals aged ≥50 years, including middle-aged and aging suspected of COVID-19 referring to registration centers in Shahroud University of Medical Sciences from Feb. 20th to Jun. 20th, 2020. The basis for diagnosing COVID-19 in suspected cases was a positive Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) test based on a nasopharyngeal swab or Computed Tomography (CT) scan. The data used included demographic information, a history of smoking, and comorbidities. Data analysis was performed in SPSS by descriptive statistics, Chi-squared test, Independent Samples t-test, and logistic regression model.

 In the first 4 months of the COVID-19 outbreak, 3945 suspicious cases were referred to Shahroud healthcare centers. After removing the missing cases, of the 3119 registered cases, 1348 participants were aged ≥50 years. Of all eligible participants, 602 cases were diagnosed with COVID-19, and 303 were males. The obtained data suggested that the Mean±SD age of the study subjects was 66.62±11.33 years. Diabetes (P=0.014) and other comorbidities, such as asthma, acute respiratory, hepatic and kidney diseases, and cancer in borderline significantly increased the incidence of COVID-19 by 38% and 32%, respectively. An increase of one unit in Body Mass Index (BMI) (P=0.002) enhanced the odds of infection by 4%.

 Based on the multivariate logistic regression results, high BMI and diabetes were significant risk factors in the development of COVID-19 among aged subjects. This conclusion emphasizes the importance of BMI and diabetes in the assessment of patients in middle-aged and aging groups.

 The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis and health outcomes are among the major human social events of the 21st century. The unknown nature of the disease and the fear of contagion have caused emotional reactions, including the self-consumption of drugs in the elderly. Therefore, this study investigated factors affecting the self-consumption of drugs for COVID-19 prevention in the elderly.

Methods & Materials:

 This descriptive and cross-sectional study was performed on 342 elderly in Sabzevar City, Iran, in 2020. The research units were selected as clusters from 16 health centers. The necessary data were collected by an online self-medication questionnaire. Data analysis was performed in SPSS.

 The Mean±SD age of the study participants was 66.2±5.67 years. The frequency of self-medication to prevent COVID-19 was 190(55.5%); analgesics, vitamins, anti-cold, and antibiotics were the most common drugs used. The major factors associated with self-medication in the COVID-19 pandemic were disease prevention, home quarantine, financial problems, experiencing previous self-medication, and others’ advice. There was a significant relationship between self-medication and education and insurance coverage. No significant relationship was observed between gender, occupation, and marital status, and self-medication.

 Self-Medication in the COVID-19 epidemic is notable as a crisis threatening the elderly’s health. Controlling and monitoring how the drug is used is among the requirements for protection and health promotion in the elderly.

the older adults are at higher risk in being infected with COVID-19 and if they get ill, they have a higher risk of death.Recognition of clinical findings and risk factors in morbidity and mortality in the elderly is needed to prevention of mortality in similar infectious diseases.

In this descriptive research, the data of all geriatrics admitted following COVID-19 in the medical centers affiliated to Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences was extracted and examined. These data were collected in an 12-month period from February 20, 2020, to February 20, 2021 . Data were statistically analyzed in SPSS statistical software after being collected.

According to the total number of 54523 patients admitted to the medical centers affiliated to in the 12-month period ,25218 patients were elderlies. female (51.05%) and 12343 patients were male. A total of 3512 elderlies died. The death included (51.65%) 1814 male and the rest were female. 16203 patients were in the age group of youngest-old, ages 60 to 75 years; 8270 patients were middle-old, 76 to 90 years; and oldest-old, were 745 patients in the age group of 90 years and over.

Preventive measures to support the elderly are essential to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and focusing on the specific health needs of the elderly, such as proper nutrition, well-being and mental health promotion of this vulnerable group is important.

The spread of Covid-19 disease due to its rapid transmission has created an emergency situation in global health in less than a few months around the world. This disease not only causes public health concerns but also causes a number of psychological illnesses including depression. Therefore, the present study was designed with the aim of the prevalence of depression during the quarantine period of Covid-19 in the elderly of Gonabad city.

Methods & Materials: 

The present descriptive cross-sectional study was performed on 432 elderly who met the inclusion criteria. Data collection tools were a two-part questionnaire including the first part of the Demographic Information Questionnaire and the second part of the GDS Depression Inventory. Samples were selected as random clusters. Data were collected by telephone (Disease transmission) from community health centers and health centers. Data were analyzed using software (SPSS) using descriptive and inferential statistics with a significance level of less than 0.05.

In the present study, the prevalence of depression was 55.8%. Findings indicated that between marriage (p <0.001), cohabitation (p <0.001), economic status (p <0.001), family history of depression (p <0.001), There was a statistically significant relationship between the history of chronic disease (p <0.003), level of education (p <0.001) and sleep quality (p <0.001) with the prevalence of depression.

In the present study, depression is more prevalent in the elderly during the quarantine period of Covid-19 disease. Due to the high prevalence of depression in the elderly during the onset of diseases such as Covid 19, interventions related to this group of the elderly should be considered in the plans of health care providers.