The Effect of Healthy Lifestyle Educational Programs on the Quality of Life of the Elderly in Arak

Background: Nowadays, the elderly population is growing all over the world. Diseases and conditions resulting from this evolutionary process can severely affect the quality of life of the elderly. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the effect of educational programs of healthy lifestyle on the quality of life of the elderly in Arak city. Materials and Methods: This quasi-experimental was carried out on ۶٠ elderly subjects in Arak city. The subjects participated in classes on nutrition, exercise, sleep hygiene, and life skills for a month and they were followed for three months after intervention. Data were collected by the short form quality of life (SF-36) in elderly. Results: The mean score of quality of life was 61.06±7.42. The highest mean was associated with social health (74.5±15) while the lowest mean was for physical health (46±17). In terms of quality of life indicators before educational intervention, four categories emerged: poor (13.3%), medium (٣٠%), good (41.7%), and high (15%). After intervention, the majority of the samples fell in the good (38.3%) and high (45%) categories. There was a significant difference before and after the educational intervention (p<0.001). Conclusion: Education to elderly about the healthy lifestyle practices can prevent a lot of problems and help them to improve their quality of life. Therefore, classroom education is fruitful for this group that is often neglected.