Review of the Effect of a Participatory Self-Care Model on the General Health and Quality of Life of Elderly Women
Akhlāq-i zīstī i.e., Bioethics Journal,
Vol. 15 No. 40 (1404),
14 July 2025
,
Page 1-16
https://doi.org/10.22037/bioeth.v15i40.47849
Abstract
Background and Aim: One of the significant paradigms that has emerged in gerontology in recent decades is that the aging process is determined and optimized not only by genetics but also by environmental and behavioral conditions. Accordingly, various models aimed at facilitating a peaceful life in old age have been proposed. The present research was conducted following the proposition of an indigenous-participatory model.
Methods: The present study was conducted using a quasi-experimental method with two experimental and control groups, and pre-test and post-test among 60 elderly women in Tabriz.
Ethical Considerations: Since the elderly are more vulnerable, greater adherence to ethical considerations becomes imperative. Throughout all stages of the intervention, efforts were made to ensure that the principles of voluntary participation, consideration for the participants' well-being, respect for their opinions regarding the number of hours and format of sessions (continuous or intermittent), refreshment arrangements, the conduct of the executive team, requested screenings, and so forth, were consistently observed with fairness, justice, and respect.
Findings: The results of the paired t-test comparing the mean scores of self-care, general health, and quality of life indices between the experimental and control groups (with a significance level of p < 0.05, specifically p = 0.000) indicate a statistically significant improvement in these indices for the experimental group following the intervention. Furthermore, the analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) results revealed an increase in the post-test scores of the experimental group for the mentioned variables. This demonstrates the significant effect of the intervention on enhancing their health and quality of life, and consequently, confirms the effectiveness of the designed model.
Conclusion: Recent studies have identified the important role of social participation in contributing to health at the end of life. The structural features in the model designed in this study make it possible to improve the quality of life in old age.
- Self-care model
- Community-based approach
- Public health
- Quality of life
- Elderly women
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