Predicting Social Competence in the Elderly Based on Cognitive Decline, Chronic Fatigue, Interpersonal Needs, and Self-Worth

Background: The elderly population is increasing day by day, and paying attention to the status of this age group seems necessary for improving their social competence. Due to the growing population of the elderly and the specific conditions that affect them, they become socially isolated. For this reason, the issue of social competence in this population is of undeniable importance. The present study was conducted with the aim of predicting social competence in the elderly based on cognitive decline and chronic fatigue with the mediation of interpersonal needs and self-worth. Methods: The present study was a cross-sectional, descriptive-analytical study. Its statistical population included all elderly individuals in Ardabil city in the year ۱۴۰۲ (۲۰۲۳-۲۰۲۴), from whom ۲۲۰ people were selected using purposive sampling. They then responded to the Social Competence Questionnaire by Flener, Lacy & Phillip (۱۹۹۰), the Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire by Hill & Pettit (۲۰۱۴), the Fatigue Questionnaire by Chalder (۲۰۰۴), the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), and the Self-Worth Scale by Crocker et al. (۲۰۰۳). Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation test, and path analysis statistical method for model fit were used for data analysis in SPSS version ۲۴.  Results: The results showed that the structural model of the study had a good fit. The results showed that social competence has a significant negative correlation with interpersonal needs (r = -۰.۶۳, P < ۰.۰۱), cognitive decline (r = -۰.۷۴, P < ۰.۰۱), and chronic fatigue (r = -۰.۵۶, P < ۰.۰۱). Also, social competence has a significant positive correlation with self-worth (r = ۰.۷۶, P < ۰.۰۱). Conclusion: It can be concluded that making necessary plans to increase self-worth and to address cognitive decline, chronic fatigue, and interpersonal needs of elderly individuals with low social competence seems essential. Keywords: Social Competence, Cognitive Decline, Chronic Fatigue, Self-Worth, Elderly Acknowledgments: The authors would like to express their sincere gratitude to all participants who generously contributed their time and cooperation to this study. Data Availability Statement: All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article. Conflicts of Interest: The authors declare no conflicts of interest. Publication Consent: Not applicable. Ethics Approval and Consent to Participate: This study was conducted after obtaining approval from the Ethics Committee of Ardabil University of Medical Sciences and was registered under ethics code IR.IAU.ARDABIL.REC.۱۴۰۳.۱۱۷. The study was performed in accordance with the ethical principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki. Before enrollment, the aims and procedures of the study were fully explained to all participants, and written informed consent was obtained from each participant. The confidentiality of participants’ information and their privacy were maintained throughout all stages of the research. Funding: This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors. Authors’ Contributions: Behnam Mollaee and Ghasem Fattahzadeh: Study design and methodology. Sina Akhavan Mohseni: Data collection. Behnam Mollaee and Sina Akhavan Mohseni: Data analysis and manuscript writing. All authors read and approved the final version of the manuscript and accept responsibility for the accuracy and integrity of its content.

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شایستگی اجتماعی ، زوال شناختی ، خستگی مزمن ، خودارزشمندی ، سالمندان