Perceived stress among older adults during COVID‐19 outbreak: A cross‐sectional study in Southern Iran

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The stress associated with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic significantly affects people's lives, especially older adults. The present study aimed to identify risk factors leading to the perceived stress associated with COVID‐19 among the adults over 60 years old of Southern Iran. METHODS: This cross‐sectional study was conducted in December 2021 in Bandar Abbas among older adults. The COVID‐PSS‐10 (Perceived Stress Scale) questionnaire was distributed among the older adults receiving healthcare services from health centers in Bandar Abbas selected through a convenient sampling method. Then, answers to the questions resulted in the score (without units). RESULTS: A total number of 456 participants between 60 and 90 years with an average age of 64 ± 5.12 years took part in this study. The mean ± SD score of total perceived stress was 16.45 ± 8.36 (the mean score of stress was 10.30 ± 6.16 and coping was 6.15 ± 3.83). Of the total, 129 participants (28.28%) were grouped as the high‐stress group. Results showed that the 70–79 years age group had higher odds of belonging to the stressed group than the 60–69 years age group (odds ratio = 2.336). Moreover, participants with a diploma were 57% more stressed than illiterate participants. The latter perceived less stress and had lower odds of belonging to the high‐stress group. The employed were 61% less likely to be categorized in the stressed group than the unemployed. Among women, 43% were less likely than men to be in the high‐stress group. CONCLUSION: As the present findings showed, the risk factors of perceived stress induced by COVID‐19 are old age, low education, unemployment, and masculinity. Therefore, planning to improve stress‐coping skills such as entertainment, strengthening social relationships, physical activity, and the peace of mind of this population are suggested under the supervision of geriatric specialists and psychiatrists.