METHODS: Based on the raw data collected from the Statistical Center of Iran, we studied the population of never-married older adults in the past 25 years and evaluated the growth pattern in different parts of Iran, using ArcGIS software. We also examined the association of singlehood in late life with education in men and women residing in rural and urban areas, using the Chi-square test in SPSS version 22.
RESULTS: A sharp increase was observed in the population of never-married older adults, particularly women, in the past 10 years. Women with formal education from urban and rural areas were more likely to be never married in late life (χ2 = 10455.35, P < 0.001 and χ2 = 271.31, P < 0.001, respectively). Older men with formal education from urban areas were more likely to be never married (χ2 = 35.44, P < 0.001), while men with formal education from rural areas were less likely to be never married (χ2 = 179.13, P < 0.001).
CONCLUSION: The rate of increase in the population of never-married older women was much higher than the overall growth of older population. Women with formal education, particularly those with university and pre-university degrees, were more likely to be single in late life. It is strongly suggested to determine the causes and process of singlehood in old age in future research, including qualitative studies.
METHODS: The present cross-sectional study was conducted on 1280 community-dwelling older adults in Tehran, Iran, 2020. The researcher used the clustered sampling method and the 2-way Social Support Scale (SSS) to collect samples and measure social support, respectively. The well-being was measured by the self-reported World Health Organization-Five Well-Being Index (WHO-5). Bivariate and hierarchical linear regression analyses were performed to compare the effects of social support aspects on well-being. Data were analyzed using SPSS 20.0. A significance level of p≤0.05 was considered statistically significant.
RESULTS: The mean age of the respondents was 70.90 (SD=8.07), and about 70% of the sample was married. The mean scores of taking and providing social support were 20.70 ±7.52 and 17.71 ±7.82, respectively. The hierarchical regression analysis revealed that providing social support is significantly associated with the well-being of older adults beyond and over receiving social support and possible contributing factors (∆F=30.25; ∆R2= 0.39, p<0.05).
CONCLUSION: The results showed that providing social support is more important than receiving it. Older adults should participate in social activities to provide social support.