Investigating the role of perception of aging and associated factors in death anxiety among the elderly

Clinical Interventions in Aging, Mar 2018

Investigating the role of perception of aging and associated factors in death anxiety among the elderly Ali Mohammadpour,1 Leila Sadeghmoghadam,1 Habib Shareinia,1 Somayeh Jahani,2 Fahimeh Amiri2 1Department of Nursing, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Gonabad University of Medical Sciences, Gonabad, Iran; 2Social Development and Health Promotion Research Centre, Gonabad University of Medical Sciences, Gonabad, Iran Background and objectives: The world’s growing elderly population highlights the necessity for further attention to the psychological problems of the elderly, such as death anxiety. Analysis of the elderly’s perception of aging and associated factors can contribute to prediction of their future physical and mental health. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship of perception of aging, and a group of demographic factors, with death anxiety in the elderly living in Gonabad, Iran.Subjects and methods: This analytical descriptive study was conducted on 330 elderly residents of Gonabad, who were selected by stratified random sampling. Research tools were a standard demographic questionnaire, Barker’s Brief Aging Perceptions Questionnaire, and Collett–Lester Fear of Death Scale. Data were collected by interview of respondents at their home. Data analysis was carried out in SPSS 16 using descriptive statistics, analysis of variance, Pearson’s test, independent t-test, and linear regression.Results: Respondents had a mean age of 73.97±7.68 years, 42.4% of respondents were men and 57.6% were women. The total Barker’s Brief Aging Perceptions Questionnaire score was 63.18±8.75, with the highest score (17.10±4.70) associated with negative consequences and control. The total Collett–Lester Fear of Death Scale score was 128±14.80, with the highest score (35.13±4.06) pertaining to the subscale fear of other people’s death. Regression results indicated that the death anxiety score was predictable according to the age and all dimensions of perception of aging, except for the consequences and negative control dimension.Conclusion: Age and the perception of aging are good predictors of death anxiety. The authors recommend further research on the determinants of death anxiety in the elderly and the development of a comprehensive care plan to reduce this anxiety among Iranian elderly. Keywords: perception of aging, death anxiety, elderly

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Investigating the role of perception of aging and associated factors in death anxiety among the elderly

Clinical Interventions in Aging Investigating the role of perception of aging and associated factors in death anxiety among the elderly Ali Mohammadpour 1 2 Fahimeh Amiri 0 1 0 social Development and h ealth Promotion r esearch Centre, g onabad University of Medical sciences , gonabad , Iran 1 living in Gonabad , Iran 2 Department of n ursing, Faculty of n ursing and Midwifery, g onabad University of Medical sciences , gonabad , Iran from roF PowerdbyTCPDF(ww.tcpdf.org) leila sadeghmoghadam 1 habib shareinia 1 somayeh Jahani 2 Background and objectives: The world's growing elderly population highlights the necessity for further attention to the psychological problems of the elderly, such as death anxiety. Analysis of the elderly's perception of aging and associated factors can contribute to prediction of their future physical and mental health. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship of perception of aging, and a group of demographic factors, with death anxiety in the elderly Subjects and methods: This analytical descriptive study was conducted on 330 elderly residents of Gonabad, who were selected by stratified random sampling. Research tools were a standard demographic questionnaire, Barker's Brief Aging Perceptions Questionnaire, and Collett-Lester Fear of Death Scale. Data were collected by interview of respondents at their home. Data analysis was carried out in SPSS 16 using descriptive statistics, analysis of variance, Pearson's test, independent t-test, and linear regression. Results: Respondents had a mean age of 73.97±7.68 years, 42.4% of respondents were men and 57.6% were women. The total Barker's Brief Aging Perceptions Questionnaire score was 63.18±8.75, with the highest score (17.10±4.70) associated with negative consequences and control. The total Collett-Lester Fear of Death Scale score was 128±14.80, with the highest score (35.13±4.06) pertaining to the subscale fear of other people's death. Regression results indicated that the death anxiety score was predictable according to the age and all dimensions of perception of aging, except for the consequences and negative control dimension. Conclusion: Age and the perception of aging are good predictors of death anxiety. The authors recommend further research on the determinants of death anxiety in the elderly and the development of a comprehensive care plan to reduce this anxiety among Iranian elderly. perception of aging; death anxiety; elderly - open access to scientific and medical research Introduction A steady rise in life expectancy and a decline in birth rate have led to gradual growth of the proportion of the elderly among the world’s total population. The traces of this demographic trend can also be seen in developing countries such as Iran, where the latest census (2011) shows a rise in the share of elderly population from 6.7% to 8.2% over a 5-year period. Population and demographic analyses anticipate a surge in the Iranian elderly population in the next 30 years and predict an elderly population ratio of 21.7% by 2021.1 One of the important domains of the elderly health is its psychological dimension, which requires special attention and prevention of disorders such as anxiety. For many Clinical Interventions in Aging 2018:13 405–410 405 © 2018 Mohammadpour et al.This work is published and licensed by Dove Medical Press Limited.The ful terms of this license are available at https://www.dovepress.com/terms.php and incorporate the Creative Commons Attribution – Non Commercial (unported, v3.0) License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/). By accessing the work you hereby accept the Terms. Non-commercial uses of the work are permitted without any further permission from Dove Medical Press Limited, provided the work is properly attributed. For permission for commercial use of this work, please see paragraphs 4.2 and 5 of our Terms (https://www.dovepress.com/terms.php). reasons, older adults are vulnerable to mental illness, and about 15%–25% of them have serious psychological problems.2 Anxiety is one of the most common mental problems of old age because people face a variety of feelings of deficiencies and disabilities at this stage of life. Studies show that older adults are more exposed to anxiety due to reduced selfconfidence, reduced activity and movement, loss of friends, 18 reduced financial and physical independence, and chronic l-u20 illnesses. Their most common anxiety is death anxiety.3 -J2 Death is a biological and psychological fact, but thinking n1o of death is dreadful and most people prefer to avoid such .121 thoughts.4 Everyone is somewhat anxious about death, as it is .59 a unique phenomenon that they will certainly experience; but .233 different persons may feel different degrees of death anxiety.5 y21 Death anxiety has been defined as an unusually intensive /bm fear of death, accompanied by feelings of apprehension or .cso anxiety when the person thinks about the process of dy (...truncated)


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Ali Mohammadpour, Leila Sadeghmoghadam, Habib Shareinia, Somayeh Jahani, Fahimeh Amiri. Investigating the role of perception of aging and associated factors in death anxiety among the elderly, Clinical Interventions in Aging, 2018, pp. 405-410, DOI: 10.2147/CIA.S150697