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AIMS Public Health

2020, Volume 7, Issue 3: 521-534. doi: 10.3934/publichealth.2020042
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Research article

Associations among living alone, social support and social activity in older adults

  • Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
  • Received: 10 May 2020 Accepted: 08 July 2020 Published: 14 July 2020

  • Objectives We examined cross-sectional associations of living alone with social isolation among community-dwelling older adults in Worcester County, Massachusetts, USA.
    Methods Four hundred participants 65 years old and older were recruited in community group settings or by direct mail. Participants were queried for living status, social support, frequency of social activity, sociodemographic and lifestyle factors, and health conditions. Social isolation was assessed by lack of social support and decreased frequency of social activity. Physical activity (PA) was measured via an accelerometer and global positioning system (GPS), which was worn by the participant, for at least 7 consecutive days.
    Results Participants living alone (N = 110) had less social support than those living with others (N = 290) (p < 0.001) but did not differ significantly in the frequency of their social activities. Group-setting recruitment was strongly associated with greater social activity (p < 0.001). Less social support was independently associated with a less-than-high-school education (p = 0.001), higher CES-D depression score (p < 0.001) and lower PA (p = 0.003). Less social activity was independently associated with a less-than-high-school education (p = 0.007) and annual income less than $50,000 (p = 0.01).
    Discussion Older adults who are socioeconomically disadvantaged, have less social support, and who live alone are more likely to be socially isolated and may benefit from continuation of low-cost social activities and increased social support inside the home. Identifying correlates of social isolation may inform future interventions.

    Citation: Elizabeth Chan, Elizabeth Procter-Gray, Linda Churchill, Jie Cheng, Rachel Siden, Annabella Aguirre, Wenjun Li. Associations among living alone, social support and social activity in older adults[J]. AIMS Public Health, 2020, 7(3): 521-534. doi: 10.3934/publichealth.2020042

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  • Objectives We examined cross-sectional associations of living alone with social isolation among community-dwelling older adults in Worcester County, Massachusetts, USA.
    Methods Four hundred participants 65 years old and older were recruited in community group settings or by direct mail. Participants were queried for living status, social support, frequency of social activity, sociodemographic and lifestyle factors, and health conditions. Social isolation was assessed by lack of social support and decreased frequency of social activity. Physical activity (PA) was measured via an accelerometer and global positioning system (GPS), which was worn by the participant, for at least 7 consecutive days.
    Results Participants living alone (N = 110) had less social support than those living with others (N = 290) (p < 0.001) but did not differ significantly in the frequency of their social activities. Group-setting recruitment was strongly associated with greater social activity (p < 0.001). Less social support was independently associated with a less-than-high-school education (p = 0.001), higher CES-D depression score (p < 0.001) and lower PA (p = 0.003). Less social activity was independently associated with a less-than-high-school education (p = 0.007) and annual income less than $50,000 (p = 0.01).
    Discussion Older adults who are socioeconomically disadvantaged, have less social support, and who live alone are more likely to be socially isolated and may benefit from continuation of low-cost social activities and increased social support inside the home. Identifying correlates of social isolation may inform future interventions.


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    Acknowledgments


    The authors thank the investigators, staff, and participants for their dedication and making this study possible. Dr. Wenjun Li conceived the study, obtained the funding, and guided the analysis. Drs. Wenjun Li, Marian Hannan, Sarah Berry and Scott Crouter are PI or co-investigators of the project and provided project oversight. We thank the research coordinators, statisticians, and data entry staff who implemented and participated in the study thus far. Linda Churchill was responsible for project management and IRB submissions. Linda Churchill, Annabella Aguirre, Rachel Siden and Elizabeth Chan recruited and followed participants. Kevin Kane was responsible for database management. Anthony Clarke and Jie Cheng processed accelerometer and GPS data. Dr. Procter-Gray conducted the statistical analysis. Elizabeth Chan and Dr. Procter-Gray drafted the manuscript. All authors contributed to the revision, read and approved the manuscript.

    Funding


    This research was supported in part by the National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health (2R56AGO28738-05A1; PI: Li). Data used from 2012–2014 was supported by a Life Science Moment Fund Award (PI: Li) of the University of Massachusetts Center for Clinical and Translational Sciences which is funded by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, through Grant UL1TR000161 and the NIH-funded Women's Health Initiative (HHSN268201100001C). The content of the paper is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of NIA, NIH.

    Conflict of interest


    All authors declare no conflicts of interest in this paper.

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