Aging, Anxiety and Inequality: The Relation between Anxiety about Aging and Gender Inequality among Women in Shiraz City (Iran)

Abstract

Introduction: Taking into account the growth of increase in the elderly population in Iran and the world, and the emergence of the phenomenon of feminization of aging, the present study has been conducted, with aim of examining the relationship between anxiety about aging and the perceived and experienced gender inequality among the women of Shiraz city (Iran).
 
 Methods: This cross-sectional study has been carried on 30 to 70 years old women in the city of Shiraz. The requied sample size is estimated to be 405 individuals, and the participants selected through a stratified random sampling. Data collection has taken place by a questionnaire which some of the questions of that were made by the authors and some are borrowed from anxiety about aging scale.The collected data were analyzed with SPSS 21 using pearson corellation tests.
 
 Results: Experienced inequality has a significant positive correlation with anxiety about aging (total) (r = 0.226; p < 0.01). The relation between perceived inequality has also been positive and significant with anxiety about aging (total) (r = 132; p < 0.05). Furthermore, there is a significant relationship between gender inequality (perceived and experienced) and anxiety about aging in different aspects, including social and economic fears, psychological fears, fear of losing the feminine position, fear of losing health, and fear of physical changes and changes in appearance.
 
 Conclusion: The anxiety about aging increases among women who experience and percive gender inequality. According to the accelerating process of population aging and the importance of paying attention to the social, psychological, and physical health of elderly women, it is necessary to take more considerations into account. In this regard, planning for decreasing the gender gap and inequality can be effective to some extent. Seemingly, the intersection of “the phenomenon of feminization of poverty,” due to gender inequality, with the phenomenon of “feminization of aging” in the future brings to the fore the necessity of paying attention to “anxiety about aging.”