Investigating the Relationship Between Health-Oriented Lifestyle and the Social Stigma of Old age With the Level of Fear of Corona Among Retired Employees of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences
Akhlāq-i zīstī i.e., Bioethics Journal,
Vol. 14 No. 39 (1403),
28 June 2024
,
Page 1-15
https://doi.org/10.22037/bioeth.v14i39.45168
Abstract
Background and Aim: Given the growing elderly population in countries, the importance of the health of this segment of society, and the significant impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on older adults, the present study was conducted to examine the relationship between a health-oriented lifestyle and the social stigma of aging with the level of fear of COVID-19 among retired employees of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences.
Methods: The research method is descriptive-explanatory of the survey type, and in terms of purpose, it is applied. The statistical population of the present study includes all retired employees of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences (approximately 9,742 individuals). Using Cochran's formula, a sample size of 410 individuals was selected. A simple random sampling method was employed in this study. The data collection tools included three questionnaires: the Health-Oriented Lifestyle Questionnaire by Walker and colleagues, the Coronavirus Social Stigma Questionnaire and the Fear of COVID-19 Questionnaire by Ahorsu and colleagues. SPSS version 22 software was used to test the research hypotheses.
Ethical Considerations: The ethical principles have been observed in this study, and there is no potential harm to the participants.
Results: The bivariate findings of the study indicated that there is a significant relationship between the social stigma of aging and its dimensions (stereotypical perceptions, negative emotions, and avoidant behaviors), as well as a health-oriented lifestyle and its dimensions (adherence to medical advice, physical activity, awareness of physical condition, healthy nutrition, mental health, alcohol and tobacco consumption, self-care, proper nutrition, and sleep habits) with the level of fear of COVID-19 among retirees. The direction of this relationship is positive for the social stigma of aging and negative for the health-oriented lifestyle. The regression model results for fear of COVID-19 also revealed that both independent variables (health-oriented lifestyle and social stigma of aging) were statistically significant in the model and together explained approximately 17% of the variance in the dependent variable (fear of COVID-19 among retirees), with the relative impact of the health-oriented lifestyle being greater than that of the social stigma of aging.
Conclusion: This study demonstrates a significant relationship between a health-oriented lifestyle and the social stigma of aging with the level of fear of COVID-19 among retirees of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. The findings of this research can be generalized to the entire population of retired university staff. Accordingly, it is essential to implement planning and necessary measures to promote a health-oriented lifestyle and reduce the social stigma of aging. Such efforts can help reduce fear during the outbreak of diseases like COVID-19- a fear that itself serves as a contributing factor to various physical and mental illnesses- and should therefore be considered by health system policymakers.
- Health-oriented lifestyle
- Social stigma of old age
- Fear of COVID-19
- Retired employees of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences
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