A comparative study of the quality of life of the elderly between the members of the supportive community and the non-members

Background: It is generally assumed that menopause and other age-related physiological changes can significantly decline the quality of life of the elderly. The aim of this study was to compare the quality of life of the elderly members of a supportive community (Jahandidgan Organization Health Center) with the non-members of the supportive community. Methods: This study measured the level of the quality of life in 344 elderly people using the original Lipad Life Quality questionnaire for the elderly. In order to analyze the data, descriptive statistics, and chi-square test, t-test and one-way ANOVA were used. Results: The means for the quality of life in elderly members of supportive community and nonmembers were 63.9 ± 12.6 and 62.8 ± 12.5, respectively, so there was not a statistically significant difference. The quality of life of older adults was significantly correlated with the level of education, their housing status, and diseases (p 0.05). Conclusion: The quality of life of the elderly is not only influenced by demographic variables, but it is also affected by various social, economic, cultural variables, and diseases. Hence, the social participation of the elderly is needed to be investigated and taken into account by policymakers.