Social Isolation and Well-Being among Community Dwelling Elderly
Keywords:
Social isolation, Elderly Well-being, Family structure, Social support networks, Gender of elderly, Risk factors
Abstract
The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to examine a link between social isolation and elderly well-being among elderly. It also probes into the nature and extent of respondents' social isolation as well as their well-being. The sample size was 150, and a multi-stage sampling procedure was employed. Data was collected using an interview schedule, a social isolation scale, and a wellbeing scale. The study's major premise was that there would be a strong link between social isolation and elderly well-being. The findings regarding the prevalenceof social isolation revealed that half of the respondents were at risk of social isolation. Sixty-six percent of the elderly reported a high degree of Wellbeing, 29 percent estimated moderate level of Wellbeing, and the remaining had a low level of Wellbeing. According to the Pearson correlation, social isolation and elderly well-being have a negative significant relationship. It means that being more likely to be socially isolated will lead to a decrease in wellbeing and vice versa.The T test results show that there was no significant difference in social isolation between men and women. On the other hand, there was a considerable difference existed in social isolation between nuclear and joint family structures. Participants in nuclear family structureexperienced higher social isolation than those in joint family structures. Various intervention measures, including as public awareness campaign, the creation of senior citizen pools, and the building of community centres, should be used to prevent social isolation and improve the social adjustment of the elderly in later life.
References
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DiNapoli, E. A., Wu, B., & Scogin, F. (2014). Social isolation and cognitive function in Appalachian older adults. Research on Aging, 36(2), 161-179.
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Green, H. E. (2014). Use of theoretical and conceptual frameworks in qualitative research. Nurse Researcher, 21(6). doi: https://doi.org/10.7748/nr.21.6.34.e1252
Holt-Lunstad, J., Smith, T. B., Baker, M., Harris, T., & Stephenson, D. (2015). Loneliness and social isolation as risk factors
for mortality: A meta-analytic review. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 10(2), 227-237. doi:https://doi.org/
10.1177/1745691614568352
Hwang, J., Wang, L., Siever, J., Medico, T. D., & Jones, C. A. (2019). Loneliness and social isolation among older adults in a community exercise program: A qualitative study. Aging & Mental Health, 23(6), 736-742. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2018.1450835
Ibrahim, R., Abolfathi Momtaz, Y., & Hamid, T. A. (2013). Social isolation in older Malaysians: Prevalence and risk factors. Psychogeriatrics, 13(2), 71-79. doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/psyg.12000
Iliffe, S., Kharicha, K., Harari, D., Swift, C., Gillmann, G., & Stuck, A. E. (2007). Health risk appraisal in older people 2: The implications for clinicians and commissioners of social isolation risk in older people. British Journal of General Practice, 57(537), 277-282.
Lin, C. I., Tang, W.-h., & Kuo, F.-Y. (2012). “mommy wants to learn the computer”: How middle-aged and elderly women in Taiwan learn ict through social support. Adult Education Quarterly, 62(1), 73-90. doi:http://doi.org/10.1177/0741713610392760
Murthy, V. (2017). Work and the loneliness epidemic. Harvard Business Review, 9, 3-7.
Nations, U. (2019). World population ageing 2019. Retrieved from https://bit.ly/3Ag8JFc
Nicholson, N. R. (2012). A review of social isolation: An important but underassessed condition in older adults. The Journal of Primary Prevention, 33(2-3), 137-152. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s10935-012-0271-2
O’Mara, B., Gill, G. K., Babacan, H., & Donahoo, D. (2012). Digital technology, diabetes and culturally and linguistically diverse communities: A case study with elderly women from the Vietnamese community. Health Education Journal, 71(4), 491-504. doi:https://doi.org/10.1177/0017896911407054
Poscia, A., Stojanovic, J., La Milia, D. I., Duplaga, M., Grysztar, M., Moscato, U., … Magnavita, N. (2018). Interventions targeting loneliness and social isolation among the older people: An update systematic review. Experimental Gerontology, 102, 133-144. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.exger.2017.11.017
Santini, Z. I., Jose, P. E., Cornwell, E. Y., Koyanagi, A., Nielsen, L., Hinrichsen, C., … Koushede, V. (2020). Social disconnectedness, perceived isolation, and symptoms of depression and anxiety among older Americans (NSHAP): A longitudinal mediation analysis. The Lancet Public Health, 5(1), 62-70. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/S2468-2667(19)30230-0
Steptoe, A., Deaton, A., & Stone, A. A. (2015). Subjective wellbeing, health, and ageing. The Lancet, 385(9968), 640-648. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(13)61489-0
Taghvaei, E., Motalebi, S. A., Mafi, M., & Soleimani, M. A. (2021). Predictors of social isolation among community-dwelling older adults in Iran. Iranian Journal of Ageing, 16(2), 188-201. doi:https://doi.org/10.32598/sija.16.2.1294.2
WHO. (2018). Elder abuse: Key facts. Retrieved from https://bit.ly/3AeIFKE
Williamson, C. (2015). Policy mapping on ageing in asia and the paci
Anderson, . T. C. E., G. O. (2018). Loneliness and social connections: A national survey of adults 45 and older (Tech. Rep.). AARP Foundation, Washington, DC.
Arai, K. (2015). The relationship between the low honor of his ancients and the social isolation discharge in his lonely consignment. Japanese old sake hygiene magazine, 62, 379-389.
Bøen, H., Dalgard, O. S., & Bjertness, E. (2012). The importance of social support in the associations between psychological distress and somatic health problems and socio-economic factors among older adults living at home: A cross sectional study. BMC Geriatrics, 12(1), 1-12. doi:https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2318-12-27
Breck, B. M., Dennis, C. B., & Leedahl, S. N. (2018). Implementing reverse mentoring to address social isolation among older adults. Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 61(5), 513-525. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/01634372.2018.1448030
Cacioppo, J. T., & Cacioppo, S. (2014). Social relationships and health: The toxic effects of perceived social isolation. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 8(2), 58-72. doi:doi.org/10.1111/spc3.12087https://doi.org/10.1111/spc3.12087
Chalise, H. N. (2010). Social support and its correlation with loneliness and subjective well-being: A cross-cultural study of older Nepalese adults. Asian Social Work and Policy Review, 4(1), 1-25. doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1753-1411.2009.00034.x
Clair, R., Gordon, M., Kroon, M., & Reilly, C. (2021). The effects of social isolation on well-being and life satisfaction during pandemic. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 8(1), 1-6. doi:https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-021-00710-3
Cornwell, E. Y., & Waite, L. J. (2009). Social disconnectedness, perceived isolation, and health among older adults. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 50(1), 31-48. doi:https://doi.org/10.1177/002214650905000103
Council., N. S. (2020). Report on the social isolation of seniors 2013-2014 (issueoctober). Retrieved from https://bit.ly/3fz2z9D
Cudjoe, T. K., Roth, D. L., Szanton, S. L., Wolff, J. L., Boyd, C. M., & Thorpe Jr, R. J. (2020). The epidemiology of social isolation: National health and aging trends study. The Journals of Gerontology (Series B), 75(1), 107-113. doi:https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gby037
Dahlberg, L., & McKee, K. J. (2018). Social exclusion and well-being among older adults in rural and urban areas. Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 79, 176-184. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.archger.2018.08.007
Dickens, A. P., Richards, S. H., Greaves, C. J., & Campbell, J. L. (2011). Interventions targeting social isolation in older people: a systematic review. BMC Public Health, 11(1), 1-22. doi:https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-11-647
Dildar, S., Saeed, Y., et al. (2012). Exploratory study of the nature of violence against elderly in district Gujrat, Pakistan. Academic Research International, 2(3), 661-669.
DiNapoli, E. A., Wu, B., & Scogin, F. (2014). Social isolation and cognitive function in Appalachian older adults. Research on Aging, 36(2), 161-179.
Don, A. G., Puteh, A., Nasir, B. M., Ashaâ , M. F., Kawangit, R. M., et al. (2016). The level of understanding and appreciation of Islam among Orang Asli New Muslims in Selangor State, Malaysia and its relationship with social well-being. International Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, 2(6), 215-220.
Fakoya, O. A., McCorry, N. K., & Donnelly, M. (2020). Loneliness and social isolation interventions for older adults: A scoping review of reviews. BMC Public Health, 20(1), 1-14. doi:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-020-8251-6
Fan, Q. (2016). Utilizing ict to prevent loneliness and social isolation of the elderly: A literature review. Cuadernos de Trabajo Social, 29(2), 185-200. doi:https://doi.org/10.5209/CUTS.51771
GAWI. (2015). Agewatch report card. Retrieved from https://bit.ly/33tUWyA
Golden, J., Conroy, R. M., Bruce, I., Denihan, A., Greene, E., Kirby, M., & Lawlor, B. A. (2009). Loneliness, social support networks, mood and wellbeing in community-dwelling elderly. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry: A journal of the psychiatry of late life and allied sciences, 24(7), 694-700. doi:https://doi.org/10.1002/gps.2181
Green, H. E. (2014). Use of theoretical and conceptual frameworks in qualitative research. Nurse Researcher, 21(6). doi: https://doi.org/10.7748/nr.21.6.34.e1252
Holt-Lunstad, J., Smith, T. B., Baker, M., Harris, T., & Stephenson, D. (2015). Loneliness and social isolation as risk factors
for mortality: A meta-analytic review. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 10(2), 227-237. doi:https://doi.org/
10.1177/1745691614568352
Hwang, J., Wang, L., Siever, J., Medico, T. D., & Jones, C. A. (2019). Loneliness and social isolation among older adults in a community exercise program: A qualitative study. Aging & Mental Health, 23(6), 736-742. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2018.1450835
Ibrahim, R., Abolfathi Momtaz, Y., & Hamid, T. A. (2013). Social isolation in older Malaysians: Prevalence and risk factors. Psychogeriatrics, 13(2), 71-79. doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/psyg.12000
Iliffe, S., Kharicha, K., Harari, D., Swift, C., Gillmann, G., & Stuck, A. E. (2007). Health risk appraisal in older people 2: The implications for clinicians and commissioners of social isolation risk in older people. British Journal of General Practice, 57(537), 277-282.
Lin, C. I., Tang, W.-h., & Kuo, F.-Y. (2012). “mommy wants to learn the computer”: How middle-aged and elderly women in Taiwan learn ict through social support. Adult Education Quarterly, 62(1), 73-90. doi:http://doi.org/10.1177/0741713610392760
Murthy, V. (2017). Work and the loneliness epidemic. Harvard Business Review, 9, 3-7.
Nations, U. (2019). World population ageing 2019. Retrieved from https://bit.ly/3Ag8JFc
Nicholson, N. R. (2012). A review of social isolation: An important but underassessed condition in older adults. The Journal of Primary Prevention, 33(2-3), 137-152. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s10935-012-0271-2
O’Mara, B., Gill, G. K., Babacan, H., & Donahoo, D. (2012). Digital technology, diabetes and culturally and linguistically diverse communities: A case study with elderly women from the Vietnamese community. Health Education Journal, 71(4), 491-504. doi:https://doi.org/10.1177/0017896911407054
Poscia, A., Stojanovic, J., La Milia, D. I., Duplaga, M., Grysztar, M., Moscato, U., … Magnavita, N. (2018). Interventions targeting loneliness and social isolation among the older people: An update systematic review. Experimental Gerontology, 102, 133-144. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.exger.2017.11.017
Santini, Z. I., Jose, P. E., Cornwell, E. Y., Koyanagi, A., Nielsen, L., Hinrichsen, C., … Koushede, V. (2020). Social disconnectedness, perceived isolation, and symptoms of depression and anxiety among older Americans (NSHAP): A longitudinal mediation analysis. The Lancet Public Health, 5(1), 62-70. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/S2468-2667(19)30230-0
Steptoe, A., Deaton, A., & Stone, A. A. (2015). Subjective wellbeing, health, and ageing. The Lancet, 385(9968), 640-648. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(13)61489-0
Taghvaei, E., Motalebi, S. A., Mafi, M., & Soleimani, M. A. (2021). Predictors of social isolation among community-dwelling older adults in Iran. Iranian Journal of Ageing, 16(2), 188-201. doi:https://doi.org/10.32598/sija.16.2.1294.2
WHO. (2018). Elder abuse: Key facts. Retrieved from https://bit.ly/3AeIFKE
Williamson, C. (2015). Policy mapping on ageing in asia and the paci
Published
2021-09-29
How to Cite
Samar Abbas, Aaqib Shahzad Alvi, & Maliha Gull Tarar. (2021). Social Isolation and Well-Being among Community Dwelling Elderly. Journal of Management Practices, Humanities and Social Sciences, 5(2), 50-59. Retrieved from https://global-jws.com/ojs/index.php/global-jws/article/view/63
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Articles
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