Disability and Self-Care among Elders in Yazd

Introduction: Geriatric syndromes lead to a number of disabilities which dramatically affect the quality of life in ageing. Facilitating the process of self-care can improve the elder's health to a great extent which has received less attention in previous studies. This study aimed at investigating the relationship between the disability and self-care in the elderly of Yazd. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Yazd; 234 elderly participants were selected through cluster random sampling. WHODAS-II questionnaire and a researcher-designed self-care questionnaire were utilized and collected data analyzed using Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis H, chi-square and Spearman correlation coefficient tests. Results: The mean score of disability was 38.55 ± 13.71 (ranging from 0 to 92) and the mean score of self-care was 61.57 ± 15.94 (ranging from 0 to 118). There was no statistically significant correlation between total score of disability and self-care, however, correlation was detected between the subscales. Conclusion: Given the high level of disability in a majority of elders and low level of their self-care, self-care promotion programs and prevention of disabilities in collaboration with their families and health centers are recommended.