Loneliness prevention and the role of the Public Health system

Crowe, Christopher L; Liu, L; Bagnarol, N; Fried, Linda P.

doi:10.1177/17579139221106579

Cited by 11 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…Improved awareness of subgroups most at risk for social isolation is necessary. Clinically, self-reported questions of sensory loss are quick, easy to administer, and have strong value for inclusion in clinical settings [40] to help identify older adults who may benefit from a discussion of their social connection, referral to community-based resources aiming to address social isolation, such as senior companion/care programs [1,41], or social prescribing. Additionally, clinical referral for sensory aids and treatment may also be beneficial as sensory aids can improve communication and could potentially reduce social isolation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hearing and vision impairment and social isolation over 8 years in community-dwelling older adults

Huang,

Cudjoe,

Rebok

et al. 2024

BMC Public Health

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Background Little is known about the long-term impact of hearing and vision impairment on social isolation. This study quantifies the association between hearing, vision, and concurrent hearing and vision impairment (dual sensory impairment) and social isolation over 8 years among older adults. Methods Data were from the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS), a cohort study (2011 – 2019) of U.S. Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 years and older. Social isolation was measured by a binary indicator incorporating four domains: living arrangement, core discussion network size, religious attendance, and social participation. Hearing, vision, and dual sensory impairments were measured by self-report and modeled categorically (no impairment [ref.], hearing impairment only, vision impairment only, dual sensory impairment). Associations between sensory impairments and odds of social isolation over 8 years were assessed using multivariate generalized logistic mixed models and adjusted for demographic and health characteristics. Results Among 5,552 participants, 18.9% self-reported hearing impairment, 4.8% self-reported vision impairment, and 2.3% self-reported dual sensory impairment. Over 8 years, hearing impairment only was associated with 28% greater odds of social isolation. Participants with hearing impairment only were more likely to live alone and have limited social participation. Conclusion Greater clinical awareness of hearing impairment as a risk factor for social isolation can increase opportunities to identify and aid older adults who may benefit from resources and interventions to increase social connection and mitigate social isolation.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hearing and vision impairment and social isolation over 8 years in community-dwelling older adults

Huang,

Cudjoe,

Rebok

et al. 2024

BMC Public Health

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“…Previous research underscores the importance of primary prevention in addressing social isolation and loneliness [ 59 – 61 ]. However, studies on the effectiveness of such preventive measures are limited, which emphasizes the need to develop intervention programs that focus on primary prevention against social isolation and loneliness.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

How do social networks, perception of social isolation, and loneliness affect depressive symptoms among Japanese adults?

Kushibiki,

Aiba,

Midorikawa

et al. 2024

PLoS ONE

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Objective This study aims to elucidate the complex relationship among social isolation, loneliness, and perception of social isolation and its influence on depressive symptoms by evaluating a hypothetical model. This understanding is essential for the formulation of effective intervention strategies. Methods We conducted an online survey on Japanese adults (N = 3,315) and used the six-item Lubben Social Network Scale to assess the size of their social networks. We employed a single question to gauge their perception of social isolation. Loneliness was assessed using the three-item UCLA Loneliness Scale, and depressive symptoms were examined using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. Structural equation modeling was employed to test the hypothesized model. Results The final model demonstrated satisfactory fit with data (χ2 (1) = 3.73; not significant; RMSEA = 0.03; CFI = 1.00; TLI = 1.00). The size of social network demonstrated a weak negative path to loneliness and depressive symptoms (β = −.13 to −.04). Notably, a strong positive association existed between perception of social isolation and loneliness (β = .66) and depressive symptoms (β = .27). Additionally, a significant positive relationship was found between loneliness and depressive symptoms (β = .40). Mediation analysis indicated that perception of social isolation and loneliness significantly intensified the relationships between social networks and depressive symptoms. Conclusions Results indicate that interventions of psychological approaches, such as cognitive–behavioral therapy, are effective in reducing the perception of social isolation and loneliness, which may lead to the prevention of depressive symptoms. Future longitudinal studies are expected to refine and strengthen the proposed model.

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“…It is important to see the increase in loneliness in the general and older population since 1970. As indicated by Crowe et al [6]. The incidence has increased from 11% to 50% in people over 80 years of age.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 89%

Design of intelligent monitoring of loneliness in the elderly using a serverless architecture with real-time communication API

Osa-Sanchez,

Jossa-Bastidas,

Mendez-Zorrilla

et al. 2023

THC

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BACKGROUND: Loneliness and social isolation are recognized as critical public health issues. Older people are at greater risk of loneliness and social isolation as they deal with things like living alone, loss of family or friends, chronic illness, and hearing loss. Loneliness increases a person’s risk of premature death from all causes, including dementia, heart disease, and stroke. To address these issues, the inclusion of technological platforms and the use of commercial monitoring devices are vastly increasing in healthcare and elderly care. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to design and develop a loneliness monitor serverless architecture to obtain real-time data from commercial activity wristbands through an Application Programming Interface. METHODS: For the design and development of the architecture, the Amazon Web Services platform has been used. To monitor loneliness, the Fitbit Charge 5 bracelet was selected. Through the web Application Programming Interface offered by the AWS Lambda service, the data is obtained and stored in AWS services with an automated frequency thanks to the event bridge. RESULTS: In the pilot stage in which the system is, it is showing great possibilities in the ease of collecting data and programming the sampling frequency. Once the request is made, the data is automatically analyzed to monitor loneliness. CONCLUSION: The proposed architecture shows great potential for easy data collection, analysis, security, personalization, real-time inference, and scalability of sensors and actuators in the future. It has powerful benefits to apply in the health sector and reduces cases of depression and loneliness.

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Loneliness prevention and the role of the Public Health system

Cited by 11 publications

References 33 publications

Hearing and vision impairment and social isolation over 8 years in community-dwelling older adults

Hearing and vision impairment and social isolation over 8 years in community-dwelling older adults

How do social networks, perception of social isolation, and loneliness affect depressive symptoms among Japanese adults?

Design of intelligent monitoring of loneliness in the elderly using a serverless architecture with real-time communication API

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