Investigating the Relationship between Social Capital and Demographic Characteristics of the Elderly Referred to Tehran Neighborhoods

Abstract

Introduction & objectives: Aging is a period of life that is affected by the deprivation of social activities, lifestyle, and life satisfaction. Social capital plays a key role in the social, economic and health dimensions of individuals. Therefore, this study examines the relationship between social capital and demographic characteristics of the elderly who referred to the houses in the neighborhoods of Tehran in 2018. Methods: The present study is a cross-sectional, descriptive study. Elderly people aged 60 years and older referring to the neighborhoods of Tehran was selected by a multi-stage sampling method. Data collection tools included the Demographic Information Questionnaire and the Onyx Social Capital Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using SPSS-21 software and both descriptive and inferential statistics. The significance level of the test was considered p≤0. 05. Results: The mean score of the elderly's social capital was 80.15 ±14.89. Although the score of women's social capital (81.86) was higher than men. There was no significant statistical relationship between the numerical indicators of social capital and gender. Conclusion: The results of the study showed that a significant percentage of the elderly have the desired social capital. Therefore, the results of this study can be used to promote the health of the elderly referring to the neighborhood houses with respect to positive aspects of "social capital" and realize of the concept of "healthy and active aging".