Factors Affecting Trust in the Elderly Based on Data from the Second Phase of the Urban Health Equity and Response Tool

Abstract

Introduction: Trust is among the social determinants of health in the elderly. Considering the importance of trust, this study was conducted to investigate demographic, economic, social, and health factors affecting trust in the elderly over 60 years old. Method: This cross-sectional study was based on the data of the second phase of the Urban Health Equity and Response Tool (Urban HERAT-2) on 5,760 elderly people. The economic status of the household was measured by principal component analysis and based on the variables of living supplies and facilities. Then, demographic and socio-economic variables such as the economic score of the household, ethnicity, occupation, education, and self-reported physical and mental health were presented in the linear regression of the explanatory model of trust using STATA software. Results: Based on the findings of this study, The living supplies and facilities explained 0.58 of the variances of the economic score of the household. Furthermore, it was observed that being married, having seasonal and permanent labor jobs, and being relatively poor was associated with a decrease in trust in the elderly and the ability to read and write, good self-reported physical health, and unchanged with an increase in trust in the elderly. The variables of age, gender, retirement, ethnicity, and mental health were not related to trust in the elderly. Conclusion: The variables such as labor jobs, low education, and poor economic status affected trust in the elderly. The findings of this study showed the lack of institutional and intergroup trust in the elderly, and it requires the attention of policymakers