The Predictive Role Of Health Promoting Lifestyle In Cognitive Status Of Older Clergymen

Objectives: Healthy lifestyle along with spirituality affect the physical and mental health of the older adults. Regarding the older clergymen’s experience of spiritual life, this study aimed to determine the predictive role of health promoting lifestyle in cognitive status among older clergymen in Qom city in 2018. Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 190 older clergymen peoples in Qom city using available sampling method according to the inclusion criteria. Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile (HPLP2) questionnaire and cognitive status assessment questionnaire (Mini-Mental State Exam / MMSE) were used to collect data. The collected data were analyzed by SPSS 22 software using descriptive and inferential statistics (correlation coefficient, linear regression, independent t-test, and analysis of variance). The level of significance was set at less than 0.05. Results: The mean age of the participants was 70.55 ± 6.86. There was a direct and significant statistical relationship between health promoting lifestyle and cognitive status in the older clergymen (r = 0.295, p = 0.001). The results of multiple regression showed that health responsibility, nutrition and job status explained almost 14% of the variance in the score of the cognitive status variable among the participants. Conclusion: Given the results of this study, it is necessary to pay more attention to nutrition and health responsibility for health promotion interventions among older clergymen. It is suggested to conduct further studies with a qualitative approach to understand the mechanisms of spiritual life’s effect on health among older clergymen peoples.