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Cudjoe T, Li Q, Drazich B, Hladek M, Samuel L, latkin C, Boyd C. Loneliness and Behavioral Changes During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Innov Aging 2021. [PMCID: PMC8680804 DOI: 10.1093/geroni/igab046.2166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Concerns for the health impact of loneliness, a risk factor for morbidity and mortality, have risen amid the COVID-19 pandemic. However, relationships between loneliness and behavioral changes remains unclear. Utilizing data from the National Health and Aging Trends Study COVID-19 Supplement, we examine the cross-sectional relationship between loneliness and self-reported increase in each of the following behaviors during the pandemic (n=2,924): walking, vigorous activity, eating, use of alcohol and tobacco, watching television and sleeping. Adjusting for age, race, education, activity of daily living limitations, and chronic conditions, loneliness was significantly associated with a higher odds of more eating (odds ratio- OR: 1.42, confidence intervals-CI: 1.24,1.62), sleeping (OR: 1.35, CI: 1.18,1.56), and watching television (OR: 1.45, CI: 1.30,1.61). These results indicate that during stressful times like our current pandemic, loneliness may lead to morbidity and mortality through sedentary behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Cudjoe
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States
| | - Qiwei Li
- Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, Baltimore, Maryland, United States
| | - Brittany Drazich
- University of Maryland, Baltimore, Baltimore, Maryland, United States
| | - Melissa Hladek
- Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, Baltimore, Maryland, United States
| | - Laura Samuel
- Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States
| | - carl latkin
- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States
| | - Cynthia Boyd
- Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States
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