Profiles of Loneliness and Social Isolation in Physically Active and Inactive Older Adults in Rural England

Social participation, loneliness, and physical inactivity over time: evidence from SHARE

OBJECTIVES

We aimed to explore the reciprocal effects of social participation, loneliness, and physical inactivity over a period of 6 years in a representative sample of European adults over 50 years old.

DESIGN

A longitudinal study with a six-year follow-up period was conducted.

SETTING

Four waves of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe project were used.

PARTICIPANTS

This study includes 64,887 participants from Europe and Israel, who were aged 50 or older at the first time.

MEASUREMENTS

The relationship between participation in social activities, loneliness and physical inactivity was analyzed, controlling for age, gender, and disability. A series of cross-lagged panel models (CLPMs) were applied to analyze the relationships among these variables.

RESULTS

A CLPM with equal autoregressive cross-lagged effects across waves was the best fit to the data (χ2 = 7137.8, CFI = .972, RMSEA = .049, SRMR = .036). The autoregressive effects for the three variables showed high stability across waves, and all the cross-lagged effects in the model were statistically significant. Social activity and physical inactivity maintained a strong negative cross-lagged effect, while their cross-lagged effects on loneliness were comparatively smaller. Social activity had a positive cross-lagged effect on loneliness, while physical inactivity had a negative cross-lagged effect on loneliness.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings highlight the importance of promoting physical activity and social participation and addressing loneliness through targeted interventions in older adults.

Addressing health challenges in rural Japan: a thematic analysis of social isolation and community solutions

BACKGROUND

The establishment of sustainable connections between medical professionals and rural citizens is pivotal for effective community healthcare. Our study focuses on understanding and resolving health problems arising from social isolation, a critical barrier to achieving this goal, especially in the context of the coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19) pandemic's impact on community dynamics respecting social cognitive theory. This study investigates the link between social isolation and rural community healthcare. We aim to develop methods that improve interaction and collaboration between healthcare providers and rural communities, ultimately enhancing the region's healthcare system.

METHODS

Employing thematic analysis based on social cognitive theory, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 57 community workers in rural communities. This qualitative approach enabled us to delve into the nuances of social isolation and its multifaceted impact on health and community well-being.

RESULTS

Our analysis revealed four key themes: the impact of aging on social dynamics, shifts in community relationships, unique aspects of rural community networking, and the role of these networks in driving community health. Notably, we identified specific challenges, such as the erosion of intergenerational interactions and the hesitancy to seek support, exacerbated by social isolation and negatively impacting community health.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study reveals the complex factors affecting rural community sustainability, particularly social isolation influenced by privacy concerns and changing social dynamics. Emphasizing the importance of social cognitive theory, it highlights the need for adaptable healthcare systems and strong community-medical collaborations. Future research should focus on developing culturally sensitive, practical strategies for enhancing these collaborations, especially involving physicians, to address rural communities' unique challenges.

Loneliness and social networks of older adults in rural communities: a narrative synthesis systematic review

Introduction

Loneliness has significant impacts on the health of older adults. Social networks help to improve psychosocial and quality of life outcomes among older adults. A fifth of older adults live in rural communities, where geographic isolation poses challenges to health. The dynamics of social networks of older adults in rural communities has not been explored.

Objective

To synthesize the literature related to loneliness and social networks of older adults in rural settings.

Methods

A mixed-methods systematic review was conducted through searching six bibliographic databases to retrieve peer-reviewed literature with no time limits. We performed a methodological assessment of each study using a mixed method quality assessment tool. Findings are synthesized thematically.

Results

A total of 50 studies (32 quantitative, 15 qualitative, and 3 mixed methods) were included in this review. Studies were conducted in 17 different countries, the majority from China (n = 12), the UK (n = 9), and USA (n = 9). Findings revealed that social networks of older adults consist of family, friends and neighbors and continue to be developed through participation in various physical and social activities such as walking groups and participation in religious events. Social networks offer informational, functional, psychological and social support to older adults. Through their social networks, older adults feel socially connected and cared for. Successful interventions to improve social networks and address loneliness were those developed in groups or one-on-one with the older adults. The key ingredient to the positive impact of these interventions on reducing social isolation and loneliness was the formation of a social connection and regular engagement with the older adults. However, the review did not find any explicitly reported theory or model on which these interventions are based.

Conclusion

The prevalence of loneliness among older adults in rural areas needs urgent attention. Social network theory and methods can help in developing interventions to address social isolation and loneliness among older adults in rural communities.

The immunomodulatory effects of social isolation in mice are linked to temperature control

Living in isolation is considered an emerging societal problem that negatively affects the physical wellbeing of its sufferers in ways that we are just starting to appreciate. This study investigates the immunomodulatory effects of social isolation in mice, utilising a two-week program of sole cage occupancy followed by the testing of immune-inflammatory resilience to bacterial sepsis. Our results revealed that mice housed in social isolation showed an increased ability to clear bacterial infection compared to control socially housed animals. These effects were associated with specific changes in whole blood gene expression profile and an increased production of classical pro-inflammatory cytokines. Interestingly, equipping socially isolated mice with artificial nests as a substitute for their natural huddling behaviour reversed the increased resistance to bacterial sepsis. Together these results suggest that the control of body temperature through social housing and huddling behaviour are important factors in the regulation of the host immune response to infection in mice and might provide another example of the many ways by which living conditions influence immunity.

Rural Social Participation through Osekkai during the COVID-19 Pandemic

We investigated the effects of enabling Osekkai, the traditional Japanese behavior of creating a helping culture, on social participation among rural people in rebuilding social connections that can be vital during the coronavirus diseases 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The subjects of this cross-sectional study were people interested in the Osekkai conference (control group) and those actively involved in Osekkai activities (exposure group). The primary outcome of social participation was measured as the frequency of meeting and the number of friends or acquaintances. The demographic data of the participants and process outcomes were measured using a questionnaire provided to all 287 registered participants. The effective response rate was 64.5% (185 responses). The involvement in Osekkai conferences was statistically associated with a high frequency and number of meetings with friends or acquaintances (p < 0.001 and 0.048, respectively). A health check was significantly associated with the number of friends or acquaintances met in the previous month, while high social support was significantly associated with loneliness. Thus, we confirm that Osekkai contributes to high social participation, although we see no relationship with loneliness. Future studies should investigate this cause-and-effect relationship and promote culturally sensitive activities to improve social and health outcomes in rural Japan.