Identifying the Main Factors of Providing Primary Preventive Care Services to the Elderly in Iran

Objectives: The ageing of the population lead to various problems in terms of health care. An important issue related to the promotion of elderly health is preventive care. The health care systems make appropriate changes in the structure and process of providing these services to the patients. This study aims to identify the most important factors of providing primary preventive care services to the elderly in Iran. Methods & Materials: In this descriptive-survey study, the variables were measured using a questionnaire and the causal relationships between them were identified. First, the factors affecting the provision of primary preventive care services to the elderly in selected countries including Iran were compared. Then, using the experiences of a panel of experts (n=12), an initial questionnaire was designed. To obtain consensus from the panel of experts, a Delphi process was carried out in three rounds. After determining the face and content validity of the questionnaire and assessing its reliability using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient, the questionnaire were completed by 176 experts. To measure the effect of the components on the main variable, the structural equation modeling (SEM) was used. Results: The model had 6 dimensions (planning, organizing, resource supply, monitoring, leadership, and preventive care). The factor load for the variable of planning was 0.68 (t=5.22); for organization, 0.56 (t=4.54); for resource supply, 0.47 (t=3.65); for monitoring, 0.59 (t=2.67); for leadership, 044 (t=3.05); and for preventive care, 0.650 (t= 3.85). Eight indicators were identified for the planning dimension, six indicators for the organization dimension, seven indicators for the resource supply dimension, seven indicators for the monitoring dimension, three indicators for the leadership dimension, and six indicators for the preventive care dimension. Conclusion: Planning, preventive care, monitoring, organizing, resource supply, and leadership are the most important factors of the provision of primary preventive care services to the elderly in Iran. Development of infrastructure, scientific and practical measures, promoting the health culture, and the seriousness of the health system in using the existing capacities and facilities, can help increase the quality of life and reduce health costs and disease burden in the elderly.