Restricted Social Engagement among Adults Living with Chronic Conditions

Meek, Kayla P; Bergeron, Caroline D.; Towne, Samuel D.; Ahn, SangNam; Ory, Marcia G.; Smith, Matthew Lee

doi:10.3390/ijerph15010158

Cited by 36 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 46 publications

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“…While we acknowledge that our self‐selected sample may include respondents who felt especially lonely and perhaps saw the interview as an opportunity to share their experiences, their spontaneous expressions of feeling isolated or lonely are noteworthy, and confirms previous research on the experiences of those living with chronic illness (Meek et al . 2018, Petitte et al . 2015).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Feeling less alone online: patients’ ambivalent engagements with digital media

Petersen

Schermuly

Anderson

2020

Sociology Health & Illness

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Digital media offer the chronically ill, especially those who experience related isolation, unparalleled opportunities to connect with others. This article asks, how do these individuals ascribe meaning to and use these media to manage their condition and related isolation? Using the concepts of affordance and emotional community, and drawing on the findings from an Australian study on patients’ use of digital media, we examine individuals’ ambivalent ascriptions of media, which are both feared and distrusted for the risks they present and embraced as invaluable tools of social connection. We argue that this ambivalence is explicable in terms of the communities to which the chronically ill belong which are founded on strong emotional bonds. In a context in which individuals tend to feel isolated through pain and/or stigmatisation, digital media may offer powerful means for sharing and affirming their experiences, the subjective benefits of which may outweigh the perceived risks. The article discusses the functions and features of digital media that the chronically ill value and distrust and concludes by considering the implications of our analysis for strategies to address the needs of people who feel isolated as a consequence of their condition.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Feeling less alone online: patients’ ambivalent engagements with digital media

Petersen

Schermuly

Anderson

2020

Sociology Health & Illness

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“…This could partly explain why older people lower their expectations for the future. Moreover, because of the existence of NCDs, older people’s social participations are likely to be restricted [ 35 ]. Since older adults are at the end of the life cycle, they are already facing the fear of death [ 36 ], which will inevitably increase once they suffer from a disease.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Relationship between the Number of Noncommunicable Diseases and Health-Related Quality of Life in Chinese Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Liu

Zhou

et al. 2020

IJERPH

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China has the largest population of older adults, most of whom suffer from one or more noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). The harm of the number of NCDs on the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of older adults should be taken seriously. A sample of 5166 adults, aged 60 years and older, was included in this study. The Chinese version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life-Old (WHOQOL-OLD) instrument was used to assess the HRQOL. Multiple linear regression models were established to determine the relationship between the number of NCDs and the total score and scores of each dimension of the WHOQOL-OLD scale. After adjusting for confounding factors, suffering from one NCD (B = −0.87, 95% CI = −1.67 to −0.08, p < 0.05), two NCDs (B = −2.89, 95% CI = −3.87 to −1.90, p < 0.001), and three or more NCDs (B = −4.20, 95% CI = −5.36 to −3.05, p < 0.001), all had negative impacts on the HRQOL of older adults. NCDs had significant negative impacts on the HRQOL of older adults, and as the number of NCDs increased, the HRQOL of older adults deteriorated. Therefore, we should pay attention to the prevention and management of NCDs of older adults to prevent the occurrence of multiple NCDs.

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“…The theme “Wherewithal for social connection” identified how intrinsic and extrinsic factors facilitated or impacted on the maintenance and development of social connection. Other research has identified the many factors that impact on the ability of individuals living with long-term conditions to socially connect with others [15,16,17,18,20,21,22,32] and our study has built on this by identifying how the factors contribute positively or negatively. Being able to maintain and develop social networks for meaningful connection and relationships contributes to development of social cohesion and subsequent building of social capital [30].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Maintenance and Development of Social Connection by People with Long-term Conditions: A Qualitative Study

Wilkinson

Bowen

Gustavsson

et al. 2019

IJERPH

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Social connection is important for people’s health and well-being. Social isolation arising from a lack of meaningful connection with others can result in deterioration of well-being with negative consequences for health. For people living with multiple long-term conditions, the building and maintaining of social connection may be challenging. The aim of this study was to explore with people with long-term conditions how they perceive they maintain and develop social connections. We undertook semi-structured interviews with seventeen adults, and analyzed the data for themes. Themes were “Meaningful connection”, “Wherewithal for social connection” and “Impact of a major change in life course”. The findings suggest that social connection is valued, and facilitates meaningful ways to reciprocate support with others, thus enabling access to knowledge and resources for better health and well-being. However, people with long-term conditions can experience challenges to developing and maintaining social connectedness after a major change in life course. We suggest that healthcare providers are well placed to facilitate ways for people with long-term conditions to socially connect with others in their neighbourhood and community, and that this in particular be attended to after a major life change.

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Restricted Social Engagement among Adults Living with Chronic Conditions

Cited by 36 publications

References 46 publications

Feeling less alone online: patients’ ambivalent engagements with digital media

Feeling less alone online: patients’ ambivalent engagements with digital media

Relationship between the Number of Noncommunicable Diseases and Health-Related Quality of Life in Chinese Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Maintenance and Development of Social Connection by People with Long-term Conditions: A Qualitative Study

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