Extended Abstract
1. Objectives
Social Health (SH) and Quality of Life (QoL) are more threatened in the aging period than other life stages [1-2]. The social structures have changed in recent decades, and extended families were replaced with nuclear families. Such transformation has increased the number of nursing homes and the residence of the elderly in such centers [3]. There is no consensus on the positive and negative effects of putting the older adults in nursing homes [4-7]. Data are scarce on the comparison of the SH and QoL of the elderly in Iran living in nursing homes and own home. Thus, the present study aimed to compare the SH and QoL of elderly residents and non-residents of nursing homes.
2. Methods & Materials
This was a comparative and descriptive-analytical study with a cross-sectional design. The study population consisted of all elderly residents/non-residents of nursing homes in Tehran City, Iran. A total of 217 samples were allocated in each group by the Cochran formula (N=434). After obtaining relevant permissions, random cluster sampling and convenience sampling methods were applied for selecting the elderly residents and non-residents of nursing homes, respectively. All samples were matched for age and gender. The Social Well-Being Scale of Keyes was used to assess SH in the samples. It has 20 items rated on a 5-point Likert-type scale. The total obtainable score ranges from 20-100, categorized as poor (scores 20-46), moderate (scores 47-74), and good (scores 75-100). 
The validity and reliability of its Persian version has been reported by the X2 coefficient as 0.73 and 0.76, respectively. The LEIPAD questionnaire was also used to assess QoL in the subjects. It has 31 items rated on a 4-point Likert-type scale ranging from 0= very low to 3= very high. Its total score ranges from 0-93; scores 0-31, 32-62 ,and 63-93 indicate low, moderate,and high QoL levels, respectively [8-10]. This questionnaire can be used as an international instrument with no cultural burden in all elderly groups [11]. Its validity and reliability for the  Iranian elderlies have been tested and reported (α=0.83) [12]. The collected data were analyzed in SPSS using Pearson’s Chi-squared test, Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, and Independent Samples t-test.

3. Results
Of the 434 samples, 217 were in the nursing home residents group (144 females and 73 males) and 217 in the non-resident group (132 females and 85 males). Pearson’s Chi-squared test was used to examine the homogeneity of groups in terms of demographic characteristics. The obtained results suggested no significant difference between the studied groups in terms of gender, age, and education (P>0.05). Therefore, they were matched for these factors. Marital status was significantly different between the groups (P<0.05). The normal distribution of SH and QoL variables in both groups was checked by the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. The relevant results revealed that their distribution was normal (P>0.05). Table 1 presents the statistics for SH and QoL variables and their comparison in both groups by the Independent Samples t-test. Moreover, the SH and QoL of elderlies in both groups were at a moderate level. The mean SH score was not significantly different in both groups (P<0.05); however, in terms of QoL, the difference between the groups was statistically significant (P<0.05). 
4. Conclusion
The SH and QoL results of the elderly living in the nursing homes of Tehran were unfavorable. However, the same scores were better in the non-resident elderlies. The SH did not differ significantly in the two groups; however, their QoL was significantly different. SH and QoL are vital in the elderly. Thus, it is suggested to pay more attention to these issues among the vulnerable elderly groups. One of the limitations of this study was its cross-sectional design. Moreover, the study samples were limited to one city (Tehran); therefore, the generalization of the findings to other cities should be done with caution. Eventually, due to the limited number of national and international studies in this field, there was no possibility for more comparison of the achieved results.

Ethical Considerations
Compliance with ethical guidelines
This article draws the moral (Code: IR.USWR.REC.1394.270) from the University of Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences and, after coordinating with the sanatorium authorities, and ensuring that there is no significant cognitive impairment (according to the records of the elderly and the opinion of the medical team of each sanatorium) Sampling was done.
Funding
The present paper was extracted from Mojgan Saieds MA. thesis of Department of Rehabilitation Management in University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences.
Authors' contributions
All authors contributed in preparing this article.
Conflicts of interest
The authors declared no conflict of interest.