Why Is Social Isolation Among Older Adults Associated with Depressive Symptoms? The Mediating Role of Out-of-Home Physical Activity
Why Is Social Isolation Among Older Adults Associated with Depressive Symptoms? The Mediating Role of Out-of-Home Physical Activity
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DOI：
10.1007/s12529-018-9752-x
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发表时间：
2018-12-01
影响因子：
2.7
通讯作者：
Peter, Richard
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Herbolsheimer, Florian;Ungar, Nadine;Peter, Richard
背景社交网络被认为是与晚年抑郁症相关的关键因素。然而，关于将社会孤立与心理健康联系起来的途径，人们知之甚少。有人提出，与健康相关的行为，如体力活动，是一种途径。这项研究考察了外出体育活动在老年人社交隔离和抑郁症状之间的中介作用。方法从德国ActiFE Ulm研究中随机选择334名老年人作为亚样本。老年人(男性=72.6岁，60.8%男性)在基线和3年后接受访问。采用医院焦虑抑郁量表(HADS)评定抑郁症状。使用吕本社会网络量表(LSNS-6)测量社会隔离程度。1周后用加速计(Active PAL)测量体力活动。结果交叉滞后结构方程模型支持间接效应(=0.014，95%CI.002至0.039)，这意味着社交孤立与较低的户外体育活动水平相关，这预示着3年后更多的抑郁症状。然而，与朋友和邻居的社会隔离与3年后的抑郁症状没有直接关系。结论采用纵向研究设计并考虑反向因果关系，本研究扩展了先前将社会隔离与抑郁联系起来的工作，表明各种邻居和友谊关系通过提供外出体育活动的机会与较少的抑郁症状有关。
BackgroundSocial networks are known to be a key factor associated with late-life depression. However, there is limited knowledge about the pathways linking social isolation to mental health. It has been proposed that health-related behaviors such as physical activity represent one pathway. This study examines the way out-of-home physical activity mediates between social isolation and depressive symptoms in older adults.MethodsA subsample of 334 older adults from the ActiFE Ulm study, Germany, was randomly selected. Older adults (M=72.6years; 60.8% male) were interviewed at baseline and 3years later. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Social isolation was measured using the Lubben Social Network Scale (LSNS-6). Physical activity was measured by an accelerometer (activPAL) over 1week. To identify out-of-home physical activity, a contemporary physical activity diary classified out-of-home physical activity.ResultsA cross-lagged structural equation model supported an indirect effect (=.014, 95% CI .002 to .039) which means that being socially isolated was associated with lower levels of out-of-home physical activity, and this predicted more depressive symptoms after 3years. However, no direct relationship was observed between social isolation from friends and neighbors at the baseline and depressive symptoms 3years later.ConclusionsUtilizing a longitudinal study design and accounting for reverse causality, this study extends prior work linking social isolation to depression by showing that a variety of neighbor and friendship ties are linked to fewer depressive symptoms by providing occasions for out-of-home physical activity.