Middle Eastern Journal of Disability Studies

Abstract
Background & Objectives: Old age begins when a person reaches 60. The increasing elderly population faces many problems. The death of a spouse is one of the biggest problems of older people, leading to loneliness. Some seniors choose remarriage as a way to escape loneliness. Other causes of remarriage comprise problems of lacking a spouse, inability to express oneself, lack of independence, failure to meet sexual needs, and dissatisfaction with widowhood. Remarriage has positive consequences, such as increasing psychological well–being and quality of life, reducing depression, increasing financial and emotional security, and improving physical health. According to the presented materials, knowing the reasons and consequences of remarriage in older people who have experienced widowhood is one of the issues that deserves investigation. Therefore, the present research was conducted to know the reasons and consequences of remarriage of older people living in Tehran City, Iran.
Methods: The current research used a qualitative approach and Constructivist Grounded Theory. The research community included all older people living in Tehran who have lost their spouses. The inclusion criteria comprise people aged 60 to 80 who have lost their spouse due to death or divorce, have experienced at least one year of bereavement, remarried during their old age, are currently married, and have passed at least 6 months since their marriage. The samples were recruited by purposive sampling. The study data were collected through semi–structured interviews with the samples that continued until reaching data saturation (after 18 interviews). While conducting interviews, data analysis began with the data transcription. Using the Charmaz (2014) method, the obtained data were analyzed in three stages: initial coding, axial coding, and categorical coding. In the end, the theoretical model of the research was formed. The methods used in the current study were long–term conflict, re–inspection of the path of obtaining information, checking with the participants, and continuous comparison. The reliability of the research was calculated through the intra–subject agreement of 83.23%.
Results: The findings of the research and the theoretical model indicate that remarriage in older adults serves as an essential phenomenon. The reasons for remarriage and the consequences of remarriage are the theoretical categories of the model. Each category consists of main themes and related subthemes. The reasons for remarriage in older people consist of three main themes: the need for independence (with four subthemes of social independence, personal independence, intellectual independence, and financial independence), sexual need (with two subthemes of sexual thoughts and sexual desires), and feeling loneliness (with two subthemes of loneliness in family and community, and emotional loneliness). Also, the consequences of remarriage had three main themes: increasing physical health (with four subthemes of nutrition management, disease prevention, exercise, avoiding drugs and narcotics), psychological well–being (with four subthemes of self–acceptance, positive relationship with others, mastering the environment, personal growth) and the quality of life (with three subtopics of mental health, social relationship, environmental health). The findings showed that the participants in the research considered the need for independence, sexual desire, and loneliness as reasons for their remarriage. They believed remarriage had improved their physical health, psychological well–being, and quality of life.
Conclusion: The findings of the present research identified the reasons for remarriage in older people and the positive consequences of remarriage. So, remarriage was considered a logical way to meet the needs of this group with its positive consequences.