Loneliness, mobility, well-being and social support in a sample of over 85 year olds

Bowling, Ann; Edelmann, Robert J.; Leaver, Jane; Hoekel, James

doi:10.1016/0191-8869(89)90085-8

Cited by 46 publications

(29 citation statements)

References 13 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…57 Declining IADL levels also have profound psychosocial effects, including loneliness, depression, and social isolation, which have all been implicated in excess mortality. [58][59][60][61][62] Furthermore, these outcomes may lead to a cascade of behavioral effects that accelerate risk for decline and death. For example, lonely older b Indicates a mean 1-point increase on every item during the 8-year period.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Longitudinal Relationships Among Visual Acuity, Daily Functional Status, and Mortality

et al. 2014

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

IMPORTANCE Determination of the mechanisms by which visual loss increases mortality risk is important for developing interventional strategies. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the direct and indirect effects of loss of visual acuity (VA) on mortality risk through functional status changes among aging adults. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Prospective longitudinal study of a population-based sample of 2520 noninstitutionalized adults aged 65 to 84 years from September 16, 1993, through July 26, 2003, in the greater Salisbury area of Maryland. Participants underwent reassessment 2, 6, and 8 years after baseline. Mortality status was ascertained from linkage with the National Death Index through 2009.EXPOSURES Results of VA testing and self-reported functional status based on activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental ADL (IADL). MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURE Mortality.RESULTS Worse VA levels at baseline were associated with an increased the risk for mortality (hazard ratio [HR], 1.16 [95% CI, 1.04-1.28]; P < .01) through their effect on lower IADL levels at baseline. Declines in VA over time were associated with increased mortality risk (HR, 1.78 [95% CI, 1.27-2.51]; P < .001) by way of decreasing IADL levels over time. Participants experiencing the mean linear decline in VA of 1 letter on the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study acuity chart per year are expected to have a 16% increase in mortality risk during the 8-year study exclusively through associated declines in IADL levels. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCEIn this longitudinal study of older adults, VA loss adversely affected IADL levels, which subsequently increased the risk for mortality. Prevention of disabling ocular conditions, treatment of correctable visual impairment, and interventions designed to prevent the effect of visual impairment on IADL declines may all reduce mortality risk in aging adults.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Longitudinal Relationships Among Visual Acuity, Daily Functional Status, and Mortality

et al. 2014

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Greater loneliness was related to increased psychiatric morbidity, increased physical impairment, low life satisfaction, small social networks and the lack of a confidant. According to the findings of Bowling et al, 24 the two variables most likely to distinguish between lonely and non-lonely older people were increased psychiatric morbidity and decreased life satisfaction.…”

Section: Ageing Loneliness and Healthmentioning

confidence: 97%

Predicting loneliness in old people living in the community

Paúl

Ribeiro

2009

Rev. Clin. Gerontol.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Loneliness and social isolation are two core concepts regarding social relationships in human life that are particularly relevant in old age. This article focuses on the prevalence of loneliness in a community sample of 1266 autonomous people aged 50 or more and on the structural circumstances (demographic social network and general health condition) that could better contribute to its experience. The prevalence of loneliness was 16.3% (n = 206) and a small number of people presented low social network (7%). Predictors of loneliness (explaining 29% of variance) were being widowed, perceiving own health as poor or very poor, and having psychological distress and cognitive impairment. The authors emphasize the importance of psychological distress as a predictor of loneliness and the need for social and psychological interventions to prevent its consequences in morbidity and mortality.

show abstract

“…Loneliness stems from a lack of confidants and friends, and in turn increases the risk of psychological problems, physical impairment, and low life satisfaction (Bowling, Edelmann, Leaver, & Hoekel, 1989). People feel lonely when their relationships are severed, and they feel anxious at the prospect of losing important relationships (e.g., Leary, 1990).…”

Section: Poor Social Relationshipsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Beyond Money: Toward an Economy of Well-Being

Diener

Seligman

2009

Social Indicators Research Series

809

975

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

SUMMARY-Policy decisions at the organizational, corporate, and governmental levels should be more heavily influenced by issues related to well-being--people's evaluations and feelings about their lives. Domestic policy currently focuses heavily on economic outcomes, although economic indicators omit, and even mislead about, much of what society values. We show that economic indicators have many shortcomings, and that measures of well-being point to important conclusions that are not apparent from economic indicators alone. For example, although economic output has risen steeply over the past decades, there has been no rise in life satisfaction during this period, and there has been a substantial increase in depression and distrust. We argue that economic indicators were extremely important in the early stages of economic development, when the fulfillment of basic needs was the main issue. As societies grow wealthy, however, differences in well-being are less frequently due to income, and are more frequently due to factors such as social relationships and enjoyment at work.Important noneconomic predictors of the average levels of well-being of societies include social capital, democratic governance, and human rights. In the workplace, noneconomic factors influence work satisfaction and profitability. It is therefore important that organizations, as well as nations, monitor the well-being of workers, and take steps to improve it.Assessing the well-being of individuals with mental disorders casts light on policy problems that do not emerge from economic indicators. Mental disorders cause widespread suffering, and their impact is growing, especially in relation to the influence of medical disorders, which is declining. Although many studies now show that the suffering due to mental disorders can be alleviated by treatment, a large proportion of persons with mental disorders go untreated. Thus, a policy imperative is to offer treatment to more people with mental disorders, and more assistance to their caregivers.Supportive, positive social relationships are necessary for well-being. There are data suggesting that well-being leads to good social relationships and does not merely follow from them. In addition, experimental evidence indicates that people suffer when they are ostracized from groups or have poor relationships in groups. The fact that strong social relationships are critical to well-being has many policy implications. For instance, corporations should carefully consider relocating employees because doing so can sever friendships and therefore be detrimental to well-being.Desirable outcomes, even economic ones, are often caused by well-being rather than the other way around. People high in wellbeing later earn higher incomes and perform better at work than people who report low well-being. Happy workers are better organizational citizens, meaning that they help other people at work in various ways. Furthermore, people high in well-being seem to have better social relationships than people low in wellbeing. ...

show abstract

Loneliness, mobility, well-being and social support in a sample of over 85 year olds

Cited by 46 publications

References 13 publications

Longitudinal Relationships Among Visual Acuity, Daily Functional Status, and Mortality

Longitudinal Relationships Among Visual Acuity, Daily Functional Status, and Mortality

Predicting loneliness in old people living in the community

Beyond Money: Toward an Economy of Well-Being

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About