Validation of the ALONE Scale: A Clinical Measure of Loneliness

Social Health and Its Influence on Metabolic Health Among a Rural Population: A Cross-Sectional Study

The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in a Spanish rural population and assess differences in prevalence according to loneliness level, social isolation, and social support. This is a cross-sectional study of 310 patients. MetS was defined by National Cholesterol Education Program-Third Adult Treatment Panel. The UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles) Loneliness Scale, Multidimensional Scale of Social Support, and Lubben Social Network Scale were used to assess loneliness, perceived social support, and social isolation. Almost half of the participants fulfilled MetS diagnosis criteria. Subjects with MetS showed significantly higher levels of loneliness, less social support, and greater social isolation. Systolic blood pressure was significantly higher in socially isolated rural adults. Environmental factors may play a key role in the prevalence of MetS, so specific screening and prevention programs could help health professionals prevent the increasing rates of MetS in rural populations under these socially specific conditions of vulnerability.

Sense of loneliness of veterans in Southern Iran: a cross-sectional study

AIMS

More than three decades have passed since the end of the Iraq-Iran war, and this period has been concurrent with a rapid growth of the older community in Iran which includes the community of veterans who often suffer from serious psychological and behavioral problems. The study aimed to investigate the prevalence and determinants of loneliness in middle and older veterans in southern Iran.

MATERIALS & METHODS

A cross-sectional study conducted among 583 middle and older male veterans (50 years <) who were selected by the census method in 2021. Data collection was done using UCLA Loneliness Scales. The collected data were entered into SPSS version-26 and Amos-24 and analyzed by multivariate ANOVA, multivariate regression, and structural equation at a threshold significance level of 0.05.

FINDINGS

The mean score of feeling lonely in the veterans was 51.08 ± 4.74. The study found a significant relationship between the participants' education and their feeling of loneliness (P-value = 0.01, effect size = -0.31). Multivariate regression demonstrated that demographic variables (i.e., age, employment status, level of education, type of living) and the severity and type of injury predict 31% of the variance in the middle and older veterans' feeling of loneliness.

CONCLUSION

The mental, psychological and physical effects of war disability were associated with the social functions of veterans in the family and community. Strategies such as increasing social support and psychological counseling for veterans along with improving their pension and income can be effective in promoting public health, especially the mental health of this group.