Individual-level Active Ageing Index in Iran and its Associations with Health-Related Quality of Life of Older People: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Background- Iran is one of the fastest ageing countries in the world and is expected that it will face with major challenges in future, as it is yet unprepared to respond to the necessities of its older population. The model of Active Ageing could be a strategy that greatly contribute in addressing the problem of population ageing in Iran. This study measured the status of Active Ageing in Iran at the individual-level and examined its associations with the health-related quality of life of older people. It was hypothesized that having an active life in old age is associated with better health-related quality of life of older people. Methods- A quantitative cross-sectional survey of a random sample of 623 people aged 55+ years resident in Tehran was conducted using multistage stratified cluster sampling method. In total, 590 people responded. The Active Ageing was measured using AAI questionnaire and the health-related quality of life was measured using SF-36 questionnaire. Associations between the domains and the overall AAI scores with the quality of life of older people were examined by MANCOVA analysis in four models using the STATA software. Results- The score of overall AAI was calculated at 26.8 (men 33.9 vs. women 20.6) out of 100. On average, the participants had slightly better scores in the mental component summary of SF-36 than the physical component (55.8 vs 52.7). The analyses indicated that there is a stronger association with the physical component than the mental component of the SF-36 and the score of the overall AAI was only associated with the physical component. Generally the 1st (employment) and the 2nd (participation in society) domains of the AAI showed little or no association with SF-36, but there was an association between the 3rd domain (enabling environment for active ageing) and the SF-36 and a particularly strong associations with the 4th domain (independent, healthy and secure living capacity). Conclusion- Implications of these findings for older people currently living in Tehran are considered and recommendations for future studies and appropriate interventions, taking account of the results, are made.