The Mediation Role of Hope, Religiosity, and Life Satisfaction in Elders

Background and Objective: The purpose of this study is to identify the relationship between the main concepts (i.e attachment, hope, religiosity, and life satisfaction) and provide tools for decision makers to become involved in a large-scale planning. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 504 elderly participants from Qazvin province were recruited between December 2015 and April 2016. They completed a questionnaire consists of four parts: 1) Demographic information; 2) Adult Attachment Scale Revised (RAAS); 3) Life Satisfaction Index Z (LISZ); and 4) Herth Hope Index (HHI). The current study followed the two-step approach suggested by Hayes (2013) to investigate the research serial multiple mediation model. First, the direct relationships between the three dimensions of adult attachment scale and life satisfaction without including religiosity and hope were tested (total effects model). Second, the mediators (i.e. religiosity and hope) were added to the model to develop a serial multiple mediation model (mediation effects model). In this model, close, depend, and anxiety as antecedent variables were modeled influencing life satisfaction directly as well as indirectly through the two mediators including religiosity and hope. The model was assessed using AMOS version 24 software. All path coefficients were estimated using maximum likelihood method and their significance was assessed using a bootstrapping with 2000 replications. Findings: The results of testing the direct relationships of the mediation model effect showed a positive relationship between close and religiosity (β = .226, p < .001) and a negative relationship between anxiety and religiosity (β = -.229, p < .001). Religiosity was positively related to hope (β = .384, p < .01) and hope was related to life satisfaction (β = .448, p < .001). Religiosity and hope mediated the relationship between close (β = .119, p < .001) and anxiety (β = -.056, p < .01) with life satisfaction. Conclusion: More specifically, while religiosity and hope fully mediated the relationship between close and life satisfaction, they partially mediated the anxiety-life satisfaction link. Since many variables affect life satisfaction and on the other hand, the attachment styles are influenced by various components, it is suggested that future variables be introduced into the model and be examined.

Keywords:

Attachment , Hope , Life satisfaction , Religiosity , Elderly