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Abstract

The present research studies the prevalence of chronic diseases in the elderly who refer to urban and rural health centers under the coverage of Ahvaz Jundishapur University and determines it by nutrition, physical activity, smoking, and drug use. Its statistical sample size is 418 of all people over 60 years old who are eligible for the research population and who are within the research clusters and residents of selected urban and rural centers in the counties covered by Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences. Its tool is a questionnaire the researcher prepared, which has the required validity and reliability. The research design is descriptive-analytical (cross-sectional) and it used statistical models including Chi-square to analyze the data. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 16 computer software. The results showed no statistically significant relationship between the prevalence of chronic diseases in the elderly and factors such as nutrition, smoking, and drug use. However, physical activity revealed a significant relationship with the prevalence of chronic diseases in the elderly. Aging problems in Iran, because of the population structure, have not yet shown themselves seriously, but they will appear soon. Therefore, a comprehensive plan can be made to design healthcare facilities by understanding the health and disease status of old people.

Keywords: Chronic diseases, Nutrition, Physical activity, Smoking, Drug use