The Association Between the Perception of Aging and Hope in Older People of Gorgan, Iran

Abstract

Background and aims: Aging is one of the life stages of all human beings, but people’s understanding of this issue is highly different. This study aimed to determine the association between the perception of aging and hope in older people. Methods: Using stratified random sampling, this cross-sectional study was performed on 300 older people referring to Gorgan’s comprehensive urban health service centers from 2021 to 2022. The Aging Perceptions Questionnaire and Schneider’s Hope Questionnaire were completed by older people. The Pearson correlation coefficient was estimated finally. Results: The mean total hope score in older women and men was 39.78±5.61 and 40.93±5.58, respectively. There is no statistically significant relationship between the total hope score and understanding of aging. The highest negative correlation was related to the emotional representation subscale of perception of aging with a total hope score (r=-0.42, P<0.0001). The aging perception score was higher in older people whose number of children was less than equal to 3. In addition, the total hope score was better in older people who lived with their spouses and had a higher education, housing, and better economic status. Conclusion: In this study, the perceptions of aging and hope in older people had a high level. Although overall hope was not related to perceptions of aging, hope was associated with the emotional representation subscale of perception of aging.