The Impact of Demographic Characteristics on Elderly Lifestyle during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background & objectives:The COVID-19 pandemic led to significant changes in lifestyle, particularly among the elderly.Factors such as age, gender, and social status can influence lifestyle choices.This study aimed to investigate the impact of demographic characteristics on elderly lifestyle during the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods: This cross-sectional, study utilized cluster sampling to recruit participants from the Integrated Health Record System (SIB) of the National Health Service (NHS) in Ardabil and Khalkhal cities.A total of 259 elderly individuals (131 men and 128 women) were randomly recruited during the third wave of the pandemic.Data were collected through telephone interviews using demographic and healthy lifestyle questionnaires, and analyzed by SPSS version 22. Univariate and multivariate linear regression tests were utilised to examine the relationships. Results:The average age of participants was 68 6.5 years.Among the elderly, 89.2% (n=231) had an average lifestyle, while 10.8% (n=28) had a favorable lifestyle.Multivariate linear regression revealed that freelancers had a significant positive association with sports and entertainment activities.Men exhibited a significant inverse relationship with the total lifestyle score (=-2.4,95% CI: -4.8 to 0.000, p=0.05), whereas women showed a direct and significant relationship (=1.2, 95% CI: 0 to 2.4, p=0.05).Unemployment was inversely and significantly associated with the total lifestyle score (=-1.2,95% CI: -2.1 to -0.407, p=0.004).Conclusion: Most elderly participants maintained an average lifestyle during the COVID-19 pandemic.The findings highlight that lifestyle during the pandemic was influenced by demographic variables, which could pose a threat to elderly well-being.Understanding these demographic factors is crucial for addressing lifestyle challenges in crises and disasters.