Factors associated with social isolation and loneliness in community-dwelling older adults during pandemic times: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Introduction: Psychosocial aspects need to be discussed in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic. Currently, no studies have investigated the factors associated with social isolation and loneliness among community-dwelling older adults. Therefore, this study analyzed the association of social isolation and loneliness with socioeconomic, clinical, and health characteristics, and Covid-19-related variables, among community-dwelling older adults during the pandemic. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted via a telephone survey of community-dwelling older adults aged ≥60 years in Macapa, Amapa, Brazil. A structured form was used to collect data. Descriptive and inferential analyses were performed using Pearson's correlation test and a linear regression model. Results: Participants comprised 86 community-dwelling older adults with a mean age of 71.78+6.98 years. Among them, 9.3% were diagnosed with Covid-19, of whom 3.5% were hospitalized. Most participants reported no difficulty obtaining food, medicines, or attending routine medical appointments during the pandemic. Furthermore, 23.3% (n=20) were socially isolated, and 20.9% (n=18) reported feelings of loneliness. The mean values for fear, anxiety, and obsession were 19.01±7.25, 1.01±1.90, and 2.84±3.28, respectively. A moderate positive correlation was identified between loneliness and the number of diseases, and a weak positive correlation between loneliness and the number of medications and depressive symptoms and risk for sarcopenia. The linear regression model indicated that higher loneliness scores were associated with a greater number of diseases (β=0.288; p=0.007). Conclusions: The findings suggest a probable resilience of the older population to Covid-19, despite the association of loneliness with many diseases in times of a pandemic.

Playing remotely in times of crisis: A program to overcome social isolation

“…The literature has shown that older adults living with cognitive deficits enjoy and benefit from interacting in activities such as dancing, storytelling, clowning, and exchanging cooking recipes. 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 The combination of activities is in line with authors who propose that carrying out community person‐centered holistic interventions demands creativity and innovation from healthcare teams. 33 …”

“…Additionally, loneliness is also associated with declines in motor function and systemic arterial hypertension in the Brazilian older adult population. 22 According to a study conducted with Brazilian older adults during the pandemic, individuals who reported interacting frequently outside home and individuals who felt that their virtual interactions were disconnected presented increased loneliness. Lonely Brazilian older adults could be at greater risk for COVID‐19 because they would be less prone to comply with physical isolation recommendations.…”

Personas adultas mayores y cuidadores en tiempo de pandemia por COVID-19 en el continente americano: perspectiva desde salud

“…Otras investigaciones ven a las personas adultas mayores y a los cuidadores como una preocupación social, ya que demandan servicios de salud y ayuda de cualquier índole (34)(35)(36)(37)(38)(39)(40)(41)(42)(43)(44)(45)(46)(47)(48)(49)(50)(51). Algunas ven la necesidad de investigar más esta etapa de la vida, donde pueden aportar elementos más certeros para el cuidado en la familia y en los ámbitos de servicios de salud, política, sociales y educación (52)(53)(54)(55)(56)(57)(58)(59)(60).…”

“…Complicaciones más frecuentes en las personas adultas mayores y cuidado-res: se resaltan aspectos como que el distanciamiento físico y el aislamiento social no solo tienen un gran impacto en la salud mental, sino también en la salud física y su funcionamiento (14). Otro aspecto importante es la incidencia de la soledad en las personas adultas mayores que, a su vez, está relacionada directamente con diversos factores como la ansiedad, la preocupación por ser infectados y la tensión financiera debido a la pandemia (17,(51)(52)(53)59). Además, hay una gran necesidad de implementar una legislación adicional para reforzar la protección de las personas adultas mayores trabajadoras y de los cuidadores (44).…”

“…Además, otra de las recomendaciones brindadas es la de priorizar la seguridad y el cuidado de todos los grupos que corren un mayor riesgo, especialmente los adultos mayores, de manera que haya una provisión mayor de pruebas adicionales, evaluación, apoyo social y un enfoque en las necesidades básicas, así como protección a los trabajadores de atención domiciliaria que los cuidan (29,31,37,38,43,47,50,52,60,61).…”