Mahshid Foroughan

The effects of place attachment on social well-being in older adults

ABSTRACT Social well-being and place attachment are two important concepts in health and quality of life of older adults. There are few studies on the relationship between these concepts at the individual level. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the effect of place attachment dimensions on social well-being dimensions in older adults. This study was a descriptive and cross-sectional study conducted on 550 community-dwelling older adults in a metropolitan area of Tehran. Participants were selected using a multistage cluster sampling approach. A Persian version of the Social Well-being Scale and the Place Attachment Scale were used to collect data. Data analysis was performed using an independent t test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation and multiple regression analysis by IBM SPSS statistics V.22 software. Findings showed that place identity, place dependence, and social relations in neighborhood explained, respectively: (β = .34), (β = .26), (β = .09) of the variance in social integration; (β = .36), (β = .23), (β = .18) of the variance in social acceptance; (β = .24), (β = .23), (β = .16) of the variance in social contribution; (β = .27), (β = .22), (β = .17) of the variance in the social actualization. In social coherence, place identity (β = .33) and social relations in the neighborhood (β = .13) were significant predictors (p < .05). The results of this study revealed that the place attachment is a strong predictor for the social well-being of older adults. Any change in the place of attachment leads to changes in the social well-being of the elderly.

Prevalence of Physical Diseases and Disorders in Retired Armed Forces; a Case Study of Tehran City, Iran

Article Type Descriptive Study Authors Pirooz F.* MD, MPH, Mohammadi Shahbolaghi F.1 PhD, Foroughan M.1 MD

Psychometric properties of the Persian version of Social Adaptation Self-evaluation Scale in community-dwelling older adults

Introduction The Social Adaptation Self-evaluation Scale (SASS) is used to measure social function and social motivation in depressed patients. There is little attention to social function in the treatment of depression. The aim of this study was to assess the validity and reliability of the Persian version of SASS (P-SASS) for older adults. Participants and methods This is a cross-sectional and methodological study. The participants were 550 community-dwelling older adults living in Tehran who were selected randomly from the primary health care centers. To assess the psychometric properties of SASS, we first did translation and cross-cultural adjustment on SASS and then used P-SASS and the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) for gathering data. A number of analyses, including Pearson’s correlation, exploratory factor analysis, and Cronbach’s α, and receiver operating characteristic curve were used to manage the data with the IBM SPSS Statistics V.22. Results The mean age of the participants was 66.09±6.67 years, and 58.9% of them were male. The Cronbach’s α was 0.97. The test–retest reliability correlation coefficient was 0.78. Principal component analysis showed that P-SASS consists of two components. P-SASS score showed a significant negative correlation with GDS (r=−0.91, P<0.01), which suggests good convergent validity. The P-SASS cutoff point was 28 (sensitivity: 0.97 and specificity: 0.94). Conclusion P-SASS has good reliability and validity for older adults. So, it can be considered as an appropriate tool to evaluate the social function and social motivation of older persons with and without depression.

Perceived social support in Iranian older adults: A qualitative study

ABSTRACT Given the substantial effect of perceived social support on older adults health, this study addressed how Iranian older adults understood and experienced the concept of perceived social support. This study used directed content analysis of semistructured interviews with 18 community-dwelling older adults living in different zones of Tehran. The participants stressed the importance of access to a variety of support from family and friends (especially children)—including emotional, practical, informational and social companionship—despite some conflicts in their relationships. The importance of spiritual support was also stressed. The majority of the participants expressed satisfaction with their available support and wished they could provide their close people, especially their children, with emotional, providing, and practical support. Researchers and health policy-makers in the Middle Eastern countries can use these findings to be more familiar with the concept of perceived social support and to develop appropriate interventions to improve support systems.