Examining the inter-relationships between social isolation and loneliness and their correlates among older British adults before and during the COVID-19 lockdown: evidence from four British longitudinal studies
Examining the inter-relationships between social isolation and loneliness and their correlates among older British adults before and during the COVID-19 lockdown: evidence from four British longitudinal studies
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检查英国老年人在 COVID-19 封锁之前和期间的社会孤立和孤独感之间的相互关系及其相关性：来自四项英国纵向研究的证据
DOI：
10.1101/2023.06.27.23291947
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发表时间：
2023
期刊：
影响因子：
--
通讯作者：
Mansfield R
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Mansfield R
背景和目的2019年冠状病毒病(新冠肺炎)大流行期间史无前例的社会限制为思考社会孤立与以后生活中孤独之间的相互关系提供了一个新的视角。我们呈现了新冠肺炎限制之前和期间的这些相互关系，并调查了与这些经历相关的人口、社会经济和健康因素在大混乱期间的不同程度。研究设计和方法我们使用了四项英国纵向人群研究的数据(1946年NSHD，1958年NCDS，1970年BCS，和ELSA，N= 12,129)。结果在四项研究中，报告社会孤立的流行前期比例介于15%至54%之间，且年龄较大者的比率较高(例如，年龄在70-79岁的人中有32%，在80岁以上的人中有54%)。在大流行期间，老年人报告社会孤立以及孤独和孤立的比例仅略有增加。社交孤立和孤独感之间的相互关系没有改变。社会人口和健康特征与社会孤立和孤独感之间的联系也保持一致，经济早熟程度较高的人(女性、非房主、失业、疾病和更大的经济压力)的负担更大。讨论和影响社会孤立和孤独的经历已经存在很大的不平等，大流行病对这些方面的恶化程度和不平等影响很小。孤独和社会孤立的概念不可互换，它们的概念化、可操作性和解释方式需要明确。鉴于许多老年人经历了高度的社会孤立，应更加重视减少社会孤立以及在经历更大孤立和孤独的人中观察到的不平等。
Background and ObjectivesUnprecedented social restrictions during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic have provided a new lens for considering the interrelationship between social isolation and loneliness in later life. We present these interrelationships before and during the COVID-19 restrictions and investigate to what extent demographic, socioeconomic, and health factors associated with such experiences differed during the pandemic.Research Design and MethodsWe used data from four British longitudinal population-based studies (1946 NSHD, 1958 NCDS, 1970 BCS, and ELSA,N= 12,129). Rates, co-occurrences, and correlates of social isolation and loneliness are presented prior to and during the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic and the interrelationships between these experiences are elucidated in both periods.ResultsAcross the Four studies, prepandemic proportions reporting social isolation ranged from 15% to 54%, with higher rates in older ages (e.g., 32% of individuals aged 70–79 years and 54% of those more than 80). During the pandemic, the percentage of older people reporting both social isolation and loneliness and isolation only slightly increased. The interrelationship between social isolation and loneliness did not change. Associations between sociodemographic and health characteristics and social isolation and loneliness also remained consistent, with greater burden among those with higher economic precarity (females, nonhomeowners, unemployed, illness, and greater financial stress).Discussion and ImplicationsThere were already large inequalities in experiences of social isolation and loneliness and the pandemic had a small impact on worsening extent and inequalities in these. The concepts of loneliness and social isolation are not interchangeable, and clarity is needed in how they are conceptualized, operationalized, and interpreted. Given many older adults experience high levels of social isolation, there should be greater emphasis on reducing social isolation and the inequalities observed in who experiences greater isolation and loneliness.