Cumulative effect of loneliness and social isolation on health outcomes among older adults
Cumulative effect of loneliness and social isolation on health outcomes among older adults
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DOI：
10.1080/13607863.2021.1940096
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发表时间：
2021-06-08
影响因子：
3.4
通讯作者：
Yeh, Charlotte S.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Barnes, Timothy L.;MacLeod, Stephanie;Yeh, Charlotte S.
孤独和社会孤立的描述相似，但不同的结构。许多研究分别研究了每个结构;然而，较少的努力致力于探索组合的影响。这项研究试图描述对晚年健康结果的累积影响。使用了2018-2019年收集的美国65岁以上老年人随机抽样人群的调查数据（N = 6，994）。调查指标包括使用UCLA-3孤独量表和社交网络指数的孤独感和社交孤立感。与会者根据重叠情况分为四类。群体是孤独的，社会孤立的，孤独和社会孤立，或两者都没有。双变量和调整的关联进行了检查。结果在平均年龄为76.5岁的参与者中，9.8%（n = 684）被认为是孤独的，20.6%（n = 1,439）被认为是社会孤立的，9.1%（n = 639）被认为是孤独和社会孤立的，60.5%（n = 4,232）两者都不是。在双变量分析中，那些被认为是孤独和社会孤立的人更有可能是老年人，女性，不太健康，抑郁，生活质量较低，医疗费用较高。在调整后的结果中，孤独和社会孤立的参与者有显着更高的急诊室就诊率和略高的医疗费用。结论结果表明这些结构在老年人中的累积效应。研究结果不仅填补了探索孤独和社会孤立对晚年影响的研究空白，而且还证实了针对孤独和社会孤立的老年人的方法的必要性。随着COVID-19大流行的持续，这一优先事项将继续对老年人至关重要。
Objectives Loneliness and social isolation are described similarly yet are distinct constructs. Numerous studies have examined each construct separately; however, less effort has been dedicated to exploring the impacts in combination. This study sought to describe the cumulative effects on late-life health outcomes. Method Survey data collected in 2018-2019 of a randomly sampled population of US older adults, age 65+, were utilized (N = 6,994). Survey measures included loneliness and social isolation using the UCLA-3 Loneliness Scale and Social Network Index. Participants were grouped into four categories based on overlap. Groups were lonely only, socially isolated only, both lonely and socially isolated, or neither. Bivariate and adjusted associations were examined. Results Among participants (mean age = 76.5 years), 9.8% (n = 684) were considered lonely only, 20.6% (n = 1,439) socially isolated only, 9.1% (n = 639) both lonely and socially isolated, and 60.5% (n = 4,232) neither. Those considered both lonely and socially isolated were more likely to be older, female, less healthy, depressed, with lower quality of life and greater medical costs in bivariate analyses. In adjusted results, participants who were both lonely and socially isolated had significantly higher rates of ER visits and marginally higher medical costs. Conclusion Results demonstrate cumulative effects of these constructs among older adults. Findings not only fill a gap in research exploring the impacts of loneliness and social isolation later in life, but also confirm the need for approaches targeting older adults who are both lonely and socially isolated. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, this priority will continue to be urgent for older adults.