The Effectiveness of Self-care Empowerment Training on Life Expectancy, Happiness and Quality of Life of the Elderly in Iranian Elderly Care Centers in Dubai

Objectives This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of self-care empowerment training on life expectancy, happiness, and quality of life of the elderly in Iranian elderly care centers in Dubai. Methods & Materials This study was a quasi-experimental research conducted in the form of pretest-posttest with control group. The statistical population of this study included all Iranian elderly in the elderly care centers in Dubai. Of these individuals, a sample of 40 elderly people (20 women and 20 men) was selected and were involved randomly in two experimental groups (n=20; 10 women and 10 men) and one control group (n=20; 10 women and 10 men). In this study, the experimental group received self-care education during 12 sessions for 3 months and a weekly two-hour session, and the control group was put on a waiting list. The experimental and control groups completed the Snyder Hope Scale (SHS), the Oxford Happiness Inventory (OHI), and the World Health Organization Quality of Life scale (WHOQOL) in the pretest and posttest phases. The data were analyzed using Multivariate Analysis of Covariance (MANCOVA). Results The findings showed that in posttest, self-care empowerment training significantly increased the hope, happiness, and quality of life in the elderly. Conclusion Self-care empowerment training in the elderly can be effective in increasing hope, happiness, and quality of life of these individuals.