Urban Lifestyle and Social Participation of Aged Citizens of Ahwaz City: A Regional Survey

By the end of the 1950s, the number of people aged above 65 was 200 million worldwide. By the end of the last century, this population increased threefold to 590 million. By 2025, this aged population is estimated to rise to 1100 million. Generally, the increase in the rate of the world population is 1.7%, but the projected rate of increase of the aged population is 2.5% per year (German, 2002). Similarly, Iranian society will have an effective and operative group who are going to shape its communities and networks. Iran is developing into a crowded country with 75 million people. It has a rate of 2.8% increase in total elderly population compared to the National Fertility Rate of 1.2% (Iran Statistics & Census Centre or ISCC, 2007a). According to the ISCC, in 2007 people who were in their 60s and above formed 6.8% of the Iranian population with national rate of increase rate at 2.8% (ISCC, 1997, 2007c). Based on the civic law and judiciary system, the age of the elderly at the first year of retirement was defined above 60, which is five years less than WHO’s definition for old age. On the other hand, there has been some evidence of local and national references to such social problems as reduction in social participation, social trust, social relations and support, communal activity, civic engagement (CE), economic and social security, leisure activities, mobility, neighborhoods, and safe areas. Among other problems are decline in social indicators like societal networks, social cohesion and inclusion, civic engagement, social capital (SC), and increase of informal and familial solidarity which result in social exclusion (Dinie, 2007; Firouz Abadi & Imani Jajarmi, 2007; Ghaffari, 2001; Ghasemi, Esmaieli & Rabeie, 2007; Joshanlou & Qaedi, 2010; Joshanlou, Rostami, & Nosrat Abadi, 2007; Saadat, 2006a). Decreasing participation was reported from local communities in Khuzestan province and Iran during years 2001 to 2007. Such statistics have led social scientists to think about deterrents of social participation (SP) and other declining factors. At the moment, severe decrease in SP amongst the increasing population of elderly is assumed to be happening because of injustice and social inequality. Iran and our research community in particular - Khuzestan province and Ahwaz city- is a multi-ethnic society, where the resources of community and society should be distributed in a justified and equal manner. Every study in its policies should attend to this issue and special groups specifically in cases involving CE and SWB. Elderly, women, ethnic groups, and enhancing their well-being and the situation of social problems are areas that require further attention. This study looks forward to understanding the reasons for such neglected interest in these areas and hope to share a new vision for policy making at micro level for aged citizens of Ahwaz city. An attempt is made to investigate the role of variables such as social participation and background characteristics in urban lifestyle of the aged in the hope of ensuring a better health and an acceptable end-life condition for them. Research population in this survey includes the elderly of Ahwaz, who were 60 years old and above. During 1997 to 2007, Ahwaz showed a higher ratio of aged citizens among all cities of Khuzestan province (3.1% in total aged population of the province). All data were based on KSCC and ISCC annual reports in 2007 (KSCC, 2007). The study has evaluated the factors of SP. Theories of participation, social capital and trust, and inequality were reviewed. Consequently, six factors were considered. Regarding the last census in 2007, total population of Ahwaz city was 969,843 inhabitants, of whom 51594 were aged 60 and above (male: 26,294 and female: 25,345). Unfortunately, in the national and provincial reports on population and census, there is no independent data for ethnicity. Research sample was obtained from two municipal zones, 3rd and 8th, using cluster sampling. Overall, about 163 aged citizens were selected upon random sampling.The data collection was done by employing the questionnaire of SAP (scale of aged participation) that is classified into 21 items with 5 options in Likert format (1= Strongly Disagree, 2= Disagree, 3= Neither Agree Nor Disagree, 4=Agree, and 5= Strongly Agree). The internal reliability of the questionnaire was based on Cronbach’s alpha and split-half method, which is well adjusted to the four basic items in the SAP. Discussion of Results & The findings indicate that social inclusion and trustworthiness are the main factors in SP. Other variables include social inequality and urban ownership, gender, socioeconomic status, NGOs membership, length of residency in urban area per year, satisfaction with urban services, marital, employment, health status, education and literacy, and fatalism restrictively (β≥. 201, ρ=. 005). Interestingly, the religious along fatalism have divert significant relationships with SP. At the end, some recommendations were suggested. For example, reinforcing plans for increasing participation and concentrate them on senior citizens and women, developing social networks and communal connections, improving social justice and trust.