According to this study results there was a negative significant relationship between age and health promoting behavior and sub‐scales of physical activity, prevention and social relations this was consistent with Wang study.[21] With the result of this study we can speculate that decreasing family attention and support and some movement limitation can lead to low social communication and encouraging the elderly to follow health promoting behavior. In analyzing the effect of marital status on health promotion behaviors and the sub‐scales, it was found that health promotion behaviors as a whole and the sub‐scales including stress management, social relations and physical activities in married old people are significantly more desirable. In the study by Scott,[24] it was also found that marital status has relations with health promotion behaviors as a whole and the sub‐scales of physical activities, healthy nutrition and preventions. The findings were also in conformity with the findings of Wang.[21]n considering the relation between the literacy level of the elderly people and health promotion behaviors and its sub‐scales, it was found that by improving the literacy level, the level of health promotion behaviors and the sub‐scales of stress management and physical activities would increase. These findings are in conformity with the results obtained by Morovati[20] and Sonhng, Yeom.[25The results of this study showed that the old people living with their spouses and children have the highest rates of physical activities and are more successful in their stress management. This is because the old people living with their families may be younger than the other old people and could be more active.