en Health Health Original Article Original Article <p dir="ltr" style="margin: 0cm 161.6pt 0pt 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0cm;"><font face="Times New Roman"><b><i><span style="color: blue; font-size: 10pt;">Background: </span></i></b><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><font color="#000000">One of the factors that have impact on the health status of elderly people is living alone. This study was conducted to examine the living condition of elderly population in Babol and probable differences which this condition induced on the health disorders of elderly people.</font></span></font></p> <p dir="ltr" style="margin: 0cm 161.6pt 0pt 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0cm;"><font face="Times New Roman"><b><i><span style="color: blue; font-size: 10pt;">Methods:</span></i></b><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><font color="#000000"> This cross-sectional study was performed on 1544 elderly people aged 60 and over in Amirkola, Babol. Demographic characteristics, the incidence of falls, chronic diseases, polypharmacy, headache with uncertain cause, chronic pains and back pain were collected by the study questionnaire; social support, physical activity, depression and cognitive disorders were assessed with standard questionnaires.</font></span></font></p> <p dir="ltr" style="margin: 0cm 161.6pt 0pt 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0cm;"><font face="Times New Roman"><b><i><span style="color: blue; font-size: 10pt;">Results:</span></i></b><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><font color="#000000"> 6.8% of elderly people were living alone. Lack of social support, cognitive disorders, depression, multiple chronic diseases, occurrence of falls and headache with uncertain cause were significantly higher among those elderly who live alone (p<0.05). Regardless of age and educational level, headache and depressive symptoms in male individuals living alone, and falls occurrence in female individuals were significantly more than those who did not live alone (p<0.05<span dir="RTL"> </span>). Also, in female elderly subjects, the effect of the marital status factor on health-related disorders was more than the effect of living alone factor.</font></span></font></p> <p dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><span new="" style="color: blue; font-family:;" times="">Conclusion:</span></i></b><font color="#000000"><span new="" style="font-family:;" times=""> </span><span new="" style="font-family:;" times="">Many disorders and disabilities are higher in the elderly people who live alone; also there is a difference in the health status of elderly people who live alone, according to their gender.</span></font></p> Living alone, Elderly, Health status, Iran 126 132 http://caspjim.com/browse.php?a_code=A-10-95-1&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Simin Mouodi dr.mouodi@gmail.com 10031947532846005272 10031947532846005272 No Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, IRAN Ali Bijani alibijani@yahoo.com 10031947532846005273 10031947532846005273 Yes Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, IRAN Seyed Reza Hosseini hosseinim46@yahoo.com 10031947532846005274 10031947532846005274 No Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, IRAN Karimollah Hajian-Tilaki drhajian@yahoo.com 10031947532846005275 10031947532846005275 No Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, IRAN