The association between obesity and social exclusion in middle-aged and older adults: findings from a nationally representative study in Germany

Abstract

BackgroundThere is a lack of studies that focus explicitly on the association between social exclusion and obesity. The aim of the present study was to identify whether social exclusion is associated with obesity in older adults, and whether this association is moderated by sex.MethodsData were derived from wave 5 (2014) of the German Ageing Survey - a representative sample of individuals residing in private households aged 40 and over in Germany. A validated scale developed by Bude and Lantermann was used to assess social exclusion. Individuals with body-mass-index ≥30 kg/m2 were classified as being obese. Multiple linear regressions were applied in this study.ResultsLinear regressions showed that social exclusion was not associated with obesity in the total sample and in men, whereas women with obesity were less socially excluded than women without obesity (β = −.06, p = .02). The corresponding interaction term (sex x obesity) achieved statistical significance (p = .03).ConclusionsOur findings emphasize the negative association between social exclusion and obesity in women, but not men, highlighting the complex interplay between social factors and excess weight in individuals aged 40 and above. Future longitudinal studies are needed to clarify this relationship in further detail.

A Reversal of the Association between Education Level and Obesity Risk during Ageing: A Gender-Specific Longitudinal Study in South Korea

“…In this study, using a longitudinal dataset, we found that obesity risk decreased during ageing from middle age to old age for each gender, which is in line with previous studies [ 22 , 65 , 66 ] except for the case of highly educated women. A plausible mechanism for the decrease in obesity risk during ageing seems to be related to unintentional weight loss among old adults, with an annual incidence of 13% [ 67 ]; at very old ages, individuals tend to lose muscle mass due to inactivity, reduction in energy intake, or illness [ 65 , 68 ].…”

Concept analysis of loneliness in older adults: A hybrid model

“…A range of the consequences of loneliness in older adults was reported. These included morbidity and mortality [38][39][40], poor physiological health outcomes [4,41], poor psychological health and wellbeing [42,43], defective immune functioning [44,45], hypertension [46,47], coronary heart disease (CHD) [48,49], stroke [50,51], increased risk of physical inactivity and smoking [52], dementia [53,54], depression [55,56], low self-esteem, suicide, alcohol and drug abuse [55,57], sleeping problems [53,58], disturbed appetite [59,60], latent causes of hospitalization [41,61], inflammatory diseases (diabetes, autoimmune disorders like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus) [4,62], obesity, cancer, poor hearing [63,64], borderline personality disorder [65,66], cognitive decline [67,68], Alzheimer's disease [53,69].…”

Does obesity lead to loneliness and perceived social isolation in the second half of life? Findings from a nationally representative study in Germany

“…Thus, they may feel that they do not belong to the society or certain groups 22 . Conversely, one may argue, that the onset of obesity is associated with decreased loneliness or perceived social isolation scores as this increase in weight may reflect an increase in sociability 8 . This appears to be plausible because a previous cross‐sectional study found an association between obesity and decreased perceived social isolation scores among older women.…”

“…In addition, obesity is associated with decreased quality of life 6 or worse mental health 7 . Thus far, only a few studies have investigated the association between obesity and loneliness as well as perceived social isolation, with inconclusive evidence 4,8–12 …”

“…Moreover, only two studies (one cross‐sectional study 8 and one longitudinal study among the oldest old 4 ) examined the association between obesity and perceived social isolation. While the cross‐sectional study 8 found an association between obesity and decreased perceived social isolation among women, the longitudinal study 4 did not find an association between these factors among the oldest old. It should be noted that the existing studies differ somewhat in the study populations, the tools used to quantify perceived social isolation as well as loneliness and the analytical approach.…”