Social Support, Quality of life and Social health in Older Adults in Lorestan, Iran: A Structural Equation Modeling

Abstract

Objective: As Iran has started to experience population ageing, it is important to consider the elderly needs and health. The purpose of this study was to examine the structural relationships between social support, quality of life and social health in Iranian older adults. Method: The research was a survey-based cross-sectional study. The sample consisted of 800 non-institutionalized older adults living in Lorestan province in Iran in 2018. Three questionnaires were employed to collect data including social health, social support and quality of life. Data were analyzed by SPSS 22 and Amos 8 softwares. Results: The majority of the participants were men (51%) and 62% of the participants were married. The most of older adults had moderate or poor economic status. Having insurance and higher income significantly correlated with higher quality of life and social health (p<0.05). The direct effect of all three variables including social support on social health, and social support on quality of life and social health on quality of life were significant. The final model indicated that 39% of the overall variance of quality of life was attributed to social support and social health. Conclusion:  Findings confirm the importance of social networks and services in the life of older adults. Indeed, to improve quality of life and social health, it is needed to pay much more attention to all aspects of social support.