LEISURE TIME ACTIVITIES AND MENTAL HEALTH AMONG IRAN OLDER PEOPLE: A POPULATION-BASED STUDY IN TEHRAN

Abstract

Background: Leisure activity helps the elderly to improve their physical and mental health. The purpose of this study is to determine the interlink between leisure activity and mental health in older people. Methods: We select 413 people over 60 years old(213 female and 200male).We collected data using GHQ 15-question survey, Nagi questionnaire, and a new reliable and validated the designed questionnaire. We analyzed our data utilizing spearman correlation, and regression analysis in SPSS21. Results: We report a relationship between recreational and religious activities in the absence of confounding factors but only religious activities were associated with mental health in the presence of confounding factors(p-value <0/0001). Among the confounding factors, physical health imposed the most significant effect. Conclusion: Considering the determinative effect of physical health on the types of leisure activity, and the significant relationship between the types of the elderly’s leisure activity and their mental health, having comprehensive planning in the physical health in older people is necessary.

Keywords

• mental health
• physical health
• leisure
• activities
• aged
• Iran