The Relationship between Lifestyle and General Health among Elderly People in Neyshabur

Abstract

Background & Aim: Nowadays, health professionals consider lifestyle as one of the most important health determinants, and many risk factors of mortality can be controlled by understanding it. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between the elders’ lifestyle and their general health status in Neyshabur. Methods & Materials: This observation of analytical type was conducted on 150 elderly people, selected by a multi-stage cluster sampling method. In this study, data were collected by a questionnaire comprised of demographic characteristics, life style, and 28 questions on General health (GHQ-28). Data were analyzed, using SPSS software version 20. Results: The results showed that 84.7% of elderly people had a moderate lifestyle and 58% were healthy in terms of general health. There was a positive and significant relationship between the total score of life style and total score of general health (P<0.05). In addition, there was a significant relationship between age and education level with total score of life style (P<0.05). Conclusion: Findings indicate that there is a significant relationship between lifestyle and general health. Therefore, identifying the effective factors in the general health of the elderly can help the elderly to understand the potential consequences of their actions and encourage them to change their life style.

Keywords

• lifestyle
• general health
• elderly