Factors Influencing Healthy Lifestyle Among Older Adults: A Qualitative Study

ABSTRACT

Healthy living is crucial in achieving active and successful aging. As the aging population is growing rapidly, improving healthy lifestyle behaviors is important. This study aimed to explore factors affecting a healthy lifestyle in older Iranian adults. We used content analyses as a study approach. We conducted in-depth individual semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions with open-ended questions between October 2020 and April 2021. Using purposive and snowball sampling techniques, participants were selected from community dwellings of Iranian older adults and experts from various health system levels. A qualitative thematic analysis approach was used for data analysis. Factors affecting a healthy lifestyle were categorized into five themes, including individual factors, cultural and religious factors, social factors, economic factors and policy factors, divided into 17 subthemes. Results highlighted the need for a holistic view of all dimensions of older adults’ lifestyles. Enhancing healthy lifestyles could have a greater impact than addressing multiple risk factors with costly strategies. Thus, health policies should strongly emphasize identified lifestyle factors that are contextually relevant.

KEYWORDS:

• healthy lifestyle
• older people
• aging
• health system research
• successful aging

Acknowledgments

We greatly appreciate all participants in the study.

Ethical approval

This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran (Approval No: IR.TBZMED.REC.1399.899).

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.