The Relationship of Active Aging Perspectives and Social Participation of Elderly Individuals with Their Mental States and Functional Independence

Objective: The aim of this study is to examine the active aging perspectives and social participation of older adults and to determine their relationship with their mental states and functional independence. Method: A total of 298 participants over the age of 60, with a mean age of 70.94±8.1 were included in the study. The degree of cognitive function of the individuals included in the study was evaluated with the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), the level of functional independence was evaluated with the Barthel Index. The frequency of social participation of the older adult participants included in the study were analyzed with a Likert-type social participation evaluation form (created by the researchers) consisting of 19 questions. With this form, the frequency of participation in various daily social activities was evaluated. Results: Individuals with high social participation evaluation form mean scores had higher Mini Mental State Examination mean scores and Barthel Index mean scores (r1: 0.329, p