Sensor-based assessment of social isolation in community-dwelling older adults: a scoping review

Abstract

Social isolation (SI) is a state of low social interaction with peers associated with various adverse health consequences in older adults living in the community. SI is most often assessed through retrospective self-reports, which can be prone to recall or self-report biases and influenced by stigma. Ambient and wearable sensors have been explored to objectively assess SI based on interactions of a person within the environment and physiological data. However, because this field is in its infancy, there is a lack of clarity regarding the application of sensors and their data in assessing SI and the methods to develop these assessments. To understand the current state of research in sensor-based assessment of SI in older adults living in the community and to make recommendations for the field moving forward, we conducted a scoping review. The aims of the scoping review were to (i) map the types of sensors (and their associated data) that have been used for objective SI assessment, and (ii) identify the methodological approaches used to develop the SI assessment. Using an established scoping review methodology, we identified eight relevant articles. Data from motion sensors and actigraph were commonly applied and compared and correlated with self-report measures in developing objective SI assessments. Variability exists in defining SI, feature extraction and the use of sensors and self-report assessments. Inconsistent definitions and use of various self-report scales for measuring SI create barriers to studying the concept and extracting features to build predictive models. Recommendations include establishing a consistent definition of SI for sensor-based assessment research and development and consider capturing its complexity through innovative domain-specific features.

Test–retest reliability and agreement of remote home-based functional capacity self-administered assessments in community-dwelling, socially isolated older adults

“…Sensor-based assessments of community-dwelling older adults should be further explored in the context of remote assessments. 55 These studies will shed more light on the potential of self-administered assessments at home to improve older adults’ healthcare and well-being, health, and quality of life.…”

Indoor Group Identification and Localization Using Privacy-Preserving Edge Computing Distributed Camera Network

“…impact of social interactions on work effectiveness [3]. A decrease in social engagements can be an indication of mental health problems, such as depression [4], schizophrenia [5], or cognitive impairment [6]. Hence, techniques that can quantify social interaction behaviors of individuals, such as frequency, duration, or degree of engagement in indoor environments, can provide critical insights into mental and cognitive illnesses, where early detection and intervention can change the disease prognosis [7].…”