Assessment of the Relationship between Spiritual and Social Health and the Self-Care Ability of Elderly People Referred to Community Health Centers

BACKGROUND: Promotion of self-care ability among older people is an essential means to help maintain and improve their health. However, the role of spiritual and social health has not yet been considered in detail in the context of self-care ability among elderly. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between spiritual and social health and self-care ability of older people referred to community health centers in Isfahan. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this cross-sectional correlation study, 200 people, aged 60 years and older, referred to healthcare centers in 2016 were recruited through convenience sampling method. Data were collected by four-part tool comprising of: (a) demographics, (b) Ellison and Palotzin's spiritual well-being scale, (c) Kees's “social health” scale, and (d) self-care ability scale for the elderly by Soderhamn's; data were analyzed by descriptive and inferential (independent t-test, analysis of variance – ANOVA, Pearson's coefficient tests, and multiple regression analysis) statistics by SPSS16 software. RESULTS: Findings showed that the entered predictor variables were accounted for 41% of total variance (R(2)) of the two self-care ability in the model (p < 0.001, F(3, 199) = 46.02). Two out of the three predictor variables including religious well-being and social health, significantly predicted the self-care ability of older people. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study emphasized on the relationship between spiritual and social health of the elderly people and their ability to self-care. Therefore, it would be recommended to keep the focus of the service resources towards improving social and spiritual health to improve self-care ability in elderly people.