Zabihollah KavehFarsani; mehdi Omidian
Abstract
Objective: One of the most important social factors that have been constantly identified as a predictor of healthy aging is marriage satisfaction. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of social support on marital satisfaction with mediating role of emotional loneliness ...
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Objective: One of the most important social factors that have been constantly identified as a predictor of healthy aging is marriage satisfaction. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of social support on marital satisfaction with mediating role of emotional loneliness and physical activity.
Method: This study was descriptive and correlational based on structural equations. The statistical population consisted of all the elderly in the care centers of Shahrekord and Farsan in 2019, among whom 180 individuals were randomly selected as participants. Then the subjects completed research instruments, including Relationship Assessment scale (Hendrick, 1998), Perceived Social Support Scale (Zimet, et al., 1988), Adult’s Social and Emotional Loneliness scale (DiTommasso, et al., 2004), and Leisure-time Activities Scale (Godin, 1985). Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used through SPSS (version 23) and AMOS (version 23) to analyze data.
Findings: The results demonstrated direct effect of social support, emotional loneliness and physical activity on marital satisfaction (p <0.001) and indirect effect of perceived social support on marital satisfaction through emotional loneliness and physical activity (p <.05).
Conclusion: The SEM results of the current study supported the proposed model explaining the interrelationships between perceived social support, loneliness, physical activity, and marital satisfaction. The findings of the present study suggest the authorities to pay more attention to the factors of social support, emotional loneliness and physical activity in order to improve the marital relationships of the elderly. The findings of this study can help psychologists and other caretakers create more effective family matter programs for the older generations to enhance their marital satisfaction.
