The Relationship Between Spiritual Health and Successful Aging

• Main Authors: Fatemeh Yousefi, Fatemeh Mohammadi, Seyedeh Ameneh Motalebi, Saeed Pahlevan Sharif
• Format: Article
• Language: fas
• Published: University of Social Welfare & Rehabilitation Sciences 2020-01-01
• Series: Sālmand
• Subjects: spiritual health; successful aging; elderly
• Online Access: https://salmandj.uswr.ac.ir/article-1-1868-en.html

Objectives: Successful aging is a positive inner feeling and satisfaction with the past and present life experiences. Thus, the present study aimed to determine the predicting factors of successful aging in a sample of Iranian elderly. Methods & Materials: This cross-sectional and descriptive-analytic study was conducted on 291 elderly in Qazvin City, Iran, in 2018. The study participants were selected using the two-stage cluster sampling method. Data collection was performed using the demographic characteristics checklist, the Successful Aging Scale, and Paloutzian and Ellison Spiritual Wellbeing Scale. Data analysis was conducted using descriptive tests (frequency, percentage, central & dispersion indices) and a hierarchical linear regression model. Results: The study sample was 291 elderly with a Mean±SD age of 68.3±6.7 years. The obtained results indicated that the spiritual health of 81.1% of the explored elderly was strong; most of the examined elderly presented a good level of successful aging. Besides, spiritual health was a predictor of successful aging in the study participants. Regarding the aspects of spiritual health, existential health positively and significantly impacted successful aging (B=0.65, P<0.001). Furthermore, the obtained data revealed that the employed elderly (B:4.29), compared to housewives (B:-4.25), those with high economic status, compared to those with a moderate (B:-3.44) and low (B:-7.332) economic level, and the elderly without a history of physical (B:-4.55) and mental (B:-2.54) conditions obtained significantly higher scores in successful aging. Conclusion: The existential aspect of spiritual health is among the predictors of successful aging. Given the importance and sensitivity of the issues related to the elderly, by interventions focused on spiritual education, one can increase the quality of this period and enrich it.