Seyed Hamid Nabavi, Mohsen Asadi Lari, Mir Taher Mousavi, Vahid Rashedi, Reza Fadayevatan ,
Volume 35, Issue 1 (1-2021)
Abstract
Background: Social capital (SC) is an essential concept of communities, and there is more SC inequality. In the current study, we studied SC Inequality concerning the explanatory socioeconomic factors.
Methods: In a cross-sectional observational study, the household data were retrieved from an Urban Health Equity Assessment and Response Tool survey in 2011. Over 5000 elderlies in Tehran (> 60 years old) consented to participate in the study and filled out 2 SC questionnaires (SCQ) and a household properties questionnaire (HPQ). Subsequently, the collected HPQ data were then statistically analyzed and used to measure the economic status of households. Besides, the statistical concentration index of the SC was applied to measure socioeconomic inequality and decomposed into its determinants using both SCQ and HPQ data collections. The concentration index and the decomposition analysis were used to analyze the study data.
Results: The overall concentration index of the SC in Tehran senior citizens was 0.059 (95%CI,0.044-0.076). Among the SC dimensions, collective activity, social coherence, voluntary help, and social network were more concentrated in the poor older adults. Simultaneously, reciprocity was more focused on the wealthy class, and there was no inequality in trust. The decomposition of the concentration index showed that economic status made the most considerable contribution to the SC inequality among citizens (69.11%), followed by the level of education (12.695) and the elderlies'job type (9.58%).
Conclusion: Given that the economic status and level of education are the 2 main determinants of SC inequality, a holistic policy approach should be adopted to address the socioeconomic inequalities that are taken root in Tehran's senior communities.
Ahmad Delbari, Amirali Azimi, Azin Pakmehr, Mohammad Saatchi, Mohammad Bidkhori, Fatemeh-Sadat Tabatabaei, Vahid Rashedi, Elham Hooshmand,
Volume 38, Issue 1 (1-2024)
Abstract
Background: Falls are considered one of the leading causes of accidental deaths and nonfatal accidental injuries in older adults. Previous research indicates a 1-in-5 yearly fall incidence among Iranian older adults. To examine specific risk factors within this population, our study aimed to evaluate fall risk factors such as obesity, sarcopenia, functional mobility, and activities of daily living (ADL) scores.
Methods: This cross-sectional study used data from the first wave of the Ardakan Cohort Study on Aging (ACSA), involving participants ˃50 years who lived in Ardakan, Iran. The primary outcome was fall history in the past 12 months. The main biomechanical variables included body mass index (BMI), muscle strength, gait speed, static balance, and mobility-assisting devices. Sarcopenia was assessed based on the ratio of hand grip strength to BMI. Multiple logistic regressions assessed associations by odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval.
Results: The final analysis included 4983 participants, 994 of whom reported at least 1 fall. Participants had a mean age of 62.21 ± 4.47 years (50-86 years), with a 48% male distribution. The results of multivariable logistic regression indicated that obesity (OR, 1.02 [95% CI, 0.70- 1.47]; P = 0.910), waist-to-hip ratio (OR, 1.02 [95% CI, 0.74-1.40]; P = 0.903), hand grip strength (OR, 1.20 [95% CI, 0.87-1.66]; P = 0.255), and sarcopenia (OR, 1.11 [95% CI, 0.82- 1.51]; P = 0.474) did not have significant associations with falls. However, impaired standing balance test (OR: 1.64 [95% CI, 1.09-2.47]; P = 0.017) and dependency on ADL (OR, 1.94 [95% CI, 1.05-3.56]; P = 0.032) increased falling.
Conclusion: Impaired balance tests and dependency on ADL increase the risk of falls in older adults. However, obesity indicators, sarcopenia, and gait speed were not associated with the risk of falls.
