Factors Related to Self-Confidence to Live Alone in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background Many older adults prefer to live alone in their own homes, with age-related issues in physical movement, regardless of their cultural background. Importantly, however, to identify the features of successfully ageing in place (AIP), and foster independent living among these individuals, this study explored their level of self-confidence to live alone and its related factors. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study using secondary data from an earlier study with older adults living alone in South Korea recruited by convenience sampling methods (N = 936, mean age = 77.1 years, 76.1% female). Data regarding the general, health-related, and social characteristics as well as self-confidence to live alone were collected via face-to-face interviews in 2019. Self-confidence to live alone was measured with a numeric rating scale of 0 to 10. Results The average self-confidence score to live alone was 6.59. A regression analysis showed that mould exposure at home, depression, emergency department visits, and loneliness hinder self-confidence to live alone. Meanwhile, such self-confidence was facilitated by independency in instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), interactions with family members, social service utilisation, and social support. Conclusions This study suggests that healthcare providers need to consider the importance of self-confidence to live alone and influencing functional, mental, social, and environmental factors to promote quality of life as well as successful AIP for older adults living alone. Further, self-confidence to live alone could be a new practical index in the field of health and ageing to screen the successful AIP of older adults living alone.

Descriptors of living alone for elders: based on Turkey national data

“…As a choice, the person may want to live alone. The higher the socioeconomic status of an individual, the higher the probability of maintain good health into old age and live alone in old age [ 6 ]. Another reason is the exposure of older adults with reduced financial means to a brutal competition to have access to sources.…”

“…These issues cause the financial, physical and social resources available to the elderly to be insufficient. On the other hand, many older adults prefer to live alone in their own homes, with age-related issues in physical movement, regardless of their cultural background [ 6 ]. In the study of Demir et al (2019), 9.3% of older people and in the study of Özyurt et al (2018) conducted in Manisa, Turkey, 19.6% of older people live alone [ 7 , 8 ].…”

“…Widows who have lost their husbands and represent the poorest and the most vulnerable population are also more likely to spend their older years alone [ 9 ]. Elderly people living alone are a vulnerable group that can face serious challenges to successfully ageing in place because they tend to be socially isolated, feel lonelier [ 6 ]. In the studies of Kim et al (2019), Kim et al (2018) and Tomiako et al (2018) elderly people living alone have depression, less social capital, poorer health, loneliness, increased prevalence of social isolation, low social support, lower quality of life, as well as sad, hopeless and worthless showed that they were more likely to feel [ 10 – 12 ].…”

Socio-demographic characteristics and their relation to medical service consumption among elderly in Israel during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020 as compared to the corresponding period in 2019

“…Middle socioeconomic status—clusters 6–7, and 3. High socioeconomic status—clusters 8–10 [ 38 ]. For the purpose of logistic regression, we dichotomized these values into 2 groups: 1.…”

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“…A literatura tem salientado a importância das redes sociais para os adultos que vivem sós (Silva et al, 2022b;Zebhauser et al, 2009). Com efeito, redes familiares e de apoio social são cruciais para o bem-estar destes indivíduos (Ryu et al, 2021). Neste sentido a internet pode desempenhar um papel muito importante, uma vez que facilita o estabelecimento e a manutenção de redes sociais (Antonucci et al, 2017) e contribui para a qualidade de vida dos idosos residentes em países da Europa do Sul (Silva et al, 2018).…”