Introduction
Considering the rapid growth of aged population in the world, it is estimated that, by 2050, the number of aged people will make up one quarter of the world population [4, 5]. This increase can cause crises in the countries [6]. Older adults may feel incompetent due to impaired mental and physical function. Therefore, it is very important to improve their satisfaction with life [12]. By improving their spiritual health and considering the impact of forgiveness on their lives, their life satisfaction can increase. The present study aims to determine the relationship between spiritual health and life satisfaction in Iranian elderly people, considering the mediating role of forgiveness.

Methods
This is a correlational study with a cross-sectional design using path analysis. The study population includes community-dwelling elderly people over 60 years in Zanjan, Iran in 2022. By referring to public places, 301 elderly people (166 men and 135 women) were selected using a convenience sampling method. After providing the necessary explanations about the questionnaires and obtaining their informed consent, the satisfaction with life scale (SWLS) of Diener et al. with 5 items rated on a 7-point Likert scale, the spiritual well-being scale (SWBS) of Paloutzian and Ellison with 20 items rated on a 6-point Likert scale, and the forgiveness scale of Rye et al. with 15 items rated on a 5-point Likert scale were completed. Descriptive statistics (Mean±SD) and inferential statistics (Pearson correlation test and path analysis) were used for data analysis. Analyzes were done in SPSS software version 26 and LISREL software, version 10.2.

Results
The mean age of the elderly was 68.84 years. Figure 1 shows the study model and t values for path analysis. The results showed the good fit of the study model. There was a direct and significant relationship between spiritual health and life satisfaction (β=0.23, P<0.001) and between forgiveness and life satisfaction (β=0.39, P<0.001). Based on the mediation analysis results, considering the significance relationship of spiritual health with life satisfaction, it was concluded that forgiveness had a mediating role. The significance indirect effect of spiritual health and forgiveness on life satisfaction of older adults indicated the mediating role of forgiveness. 




Conclusion
There is a positive and significant relationship between spiritual health and life satisfaction, between forgiveness and life satisfaction, and between spiritual health and forgiveness in Iranian elderly people. Forgiveness has a mediating role in the relationship between spiritual health and life satisfaction in the elderly.

Ethical Considerations

Compliance with ethical guidelines
This study obtained an ethical approval from the Ethics Committee of the University of Zanjan (Code: IR.ZNU.REC.1400.013).

Funding
This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors. 

Authors' contributions
Conceptualization and methodology: Majid Yousefi Afrashteh; Data collection and report preparation: Asmar Shahbazi Chahartaq; Data analysis: Zekrollah Morovati.

Conflicts of interest
The authors declared no conflict of interest.


 

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