The aging population is growing worldwide. The number of aged people in the world reached about one billion by 2020. Aging is associated with increased incidence of physical and mental disorders. Proper social functioning leads to improved quality of life and mental health in older adults. Social interactions are declined after retirement in the elderly which is associated with cognitive impairment, and those with poor social functioning are more likely to develop dementia. Therefore, it is necessary to assess the factors that can promote social functioning. Aging in place is a term that emphasizes the ability of older adults to live in the community safely. Aging in place leads to maintaining independence and receiving more effective social support and better mental health. Place attachment is defined as an effective bond of a person with a place or neighborhood where s/he feels comfortable. Considering the importance of aging in place and its effect on lifestyle, this study aims to evaluate the relationship between place attachment and social functioning in the elderly.

This is a descriptive/analytical study. Participants were 400 older people living in Tehran, Iran who were selected through quota sampling. Inclusion criteria were: Age >60 years, residing in Tehran, having at least reading and writing skills. Return of incomplete questionnaires was the exclusion criterion. The data were collected by the Place Attachment Scale (PAS) and Social Adaptation Self-Evaluation Scale (SASS). The PAS has 8 items that measure place identity, place dependence, social relations in the neighborhood. SASS has 20 items that measure the quality of social activities and relations. Data were analyzed in SPSS v. 22 software using t-test, Pearson correlation test, and multiple regression analysis.

The participants were 234 males (58.5%) and 166 females (41.5%). Their Mean±SD age was 66.31±66.78 years (ranged 60-94 years). Their Mean±SD length of stay in the current place was 19.10±16.87 years. There was a significant negative correlation between age and social functioning (r= -0.27, P<0.001), and a positive significant correlation between age and place attachment (r= 0.14, P= 0.004). Mean±SD scores of place attachment were not significantly different between men (23.67±7.48) and women (22.69±6.91) (P=0.18). Social functioning was not significantly different between the two genders (men: 38.71±10.25, women: 37.66±10.70, P=0.32), either. There was a significant positive correlation between the length of stay in the current place and place attachment (r = 0.28, P= 0.009). The PAS dimensions of place identity (β= 0.23, P< 0.001), place dependence (β= 0.17, P= 0.001) and social relations in the neighborhood (β = 0.19, P= 0.001) could explain the quality of social activities, while place dependence (β= 0.31, P<0.001) and social relations in the neighborhood (β= 0.22, P<0.001) could explain the quality of social relations (Table 1).


 

There was a significant positive correlation between the dimensions of place attachment (place identity, place dependence, and social relations in the neighborhood) and social functioning. The three dimensions of place attachment were able to explain the quality of social activities, while only two dimensions of place dependence and social relations in the neighborhood could explain the quality of social relations. The place identity affects a person’s knowledge of the place where s/he lives. Place dependence is related to one’s behaviors and interactions. Communication with neighbors is one of the important dimensions that shows the place attachment. These relationships are of great importance in old age. This study showed that with the increase of age, the social functioning of older adults decreased, but the social functioning did not show any difference between the two sexes. There was a positive relationship between place attachment and length of stay in a place (neighborhood, home), which was also related to age. Based on the findings, place attachment was able to explain social functioning, indicating that older people who are more interested in their place (neighborhood), have a better quality of social relations and activities. Therefore, by identifying the factors affecting the place attachment of the elderly and promoting them, it is possible to improve the social performance of the elderly and thus have better mental health. Therefore, improvement of social functioning in older adults can improve their place attachment.
 

The study was approved by Ethics Committee the Iran University of Medical Sciences (Code: IR.IUMS.REC.1398.023).

This study was funded by the Iran University of Medical Sciences (Grant Number: 13484) 

Conceptualization: Pouya Farokhnezhad Afshar; Methodology, investigation, writing – original draft, writing – review & editing, funding acquisition, resources: All author; Supervision: Seyed Kazem Malakouti, Pouya Farokhnezhad Afshar.

The authors declared no conflict of interest.
 

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