Iranian Older Adults' Experiences of the Age-friendliness of Kashan City: A Qualitative Content Analysis Study.
Fatemeh Sadat Izadi-Avanji, Azade Safa, Mohsen Adib-Hajbaghery and 1 others
PMID 42483318WHAT IT FOUND
Older adults in Kashan described unsafe sidewalks, steep ramps, high bus steps, poor seating, dismissive staff and inaccessible technology as barriers to mobility, participation and independence.
They felt forgotten.
Key findings
01Older adults described Kashan as a city that forgot them, with systemic neglect across public spaces, transport, social participation and technology.
02Unsafe sidewalks, steep ramps and narrow pathways limited mobility and safety, especially for people using walkers.
03Dismissive service staff, lack of free sports options and inaccessible digital systems restricted participation and access to services.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The study used 18 older adults from one mid-sized Iranian city, so the themes may not apply to other places or groups. Participants had to be cognitively screened, mobile enough for interviews and free of depression by the study's cut-offs, so people with severe cognitive impairment, severe mood problems or very limited mobility were not included. People living in nursing homes or long-term care were not included. All findings are self-reported experiences, not measured outcomes or tested effects. One interviewer was a gerontology expert and used a reflective diary, but her perspective may still have shaped questions and interpretation. The study did not test any intervention, so it cannot show whether environmental changes, training or programmes would help.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these themes as evidence that city changes or therapy programmes work. The study reports older adults' experiences in one Iranian city; it does not test interventions or outcomes.