General self-efficacy, not musculoskeletal health, was associated with social isolation and loneliness in older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic: findings from the Hertfordshire Cohort Study
General self-efficacy, not musculoskeletal health, was associated with social isolation and loneliness in older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic: findings from the Hertfordshire Cohort Study
Background: social isolation and loneliness are prevalent among older adults. This study investigated factors influencing worsening social isolation and loneliness in community-dwelling older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on musculoskeletal conditions, falls, and fractures.
Methods: we studied 153 participants from the Hertfordshire Cohort Study. Baseline assessments (2019-20) included osteoporosis, clinical osteoarthritis, fractures after age 45 years, falls in previous year, and lifestyle factors. Self-efficacy was assessed using a shortened General Self-Efficacy Scale. Social isolation was assessed using the 6-item Lubben Social Network Scale. Follow-up (2020-21) assessments included social isolation and loneliness using the 6-item De Jong-Gierveld scale for emotional, social, and overall loneliness.
Results: baseline median age was 83.1 years. A history of smoking predicted worsening social isolation (p = 0.046). Being married (p = 0.026) and higher self-efficacy scores (p = 0.03) predicted reduced social isolation at follow-up. Greater alcohol consumption was associated with higher overall loneliness (p = 0.026). Being married was related to a 36% (95% CI: 3%, 58%) reduction in emotional loneliness (p = 0.037). No musculoskeletal condition was associated with social isolation or loneliness. However, we observed a 22% (14%, 30%; p < 0.001) reduction in emotional loneliness and a 12% (4%, 20%; p = 0.003) reduction in overall loneliness per unit increase in self-efficacy score.
Conclusions: no musculoskeletal condition was associated with increased social isolation or loneliness, but longitudinal studies in larger samples are required. Greater self-efficacy was associated with reduced social isolation and reduced loneliness. Interventions promoting self-efficacy in older adults may reduce isolation and loneliness in this age group.
Aged, Aged, 80 and over, COVID-19/epidemiology, Cohort Studies, Humans, Loneliness/psychology, Pandemics, Self Efficacy, Social Isolation/psychology, Ageing, Musculoskeletal conditions, COVID-19 pandemic, Social isolation, Self-efficacy, Loneliness
Bevilacqua, Gregorio
e93e3b18-7d1e-4da5-9fcd-e6b4637e1c2e
Westbury, Leo D.
08fbb4e9-305c-4724-bd0c-b963a5054229
Bloom, Ilse
c3be559e-5105-4b05-aaab-a95d976f452c
Zhang, Jean
437abe90-46ac-46de-8183-042c36ed3398
Lawrence, Wendy T.
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Barker, Mary E.
374310ad-d308-44af-b6da-515bf5d2d6d2
Ward, Kate A.
39bd4db1-c948-4e32-930e-7bec8deb54c7
Dennison, Elaine M.
ee647287-edb4-4392-8361-e59fd505b1d1
3 February 2024
Bevilacqua, Gregorio
e93e3b18-7d1e-4da5-9fcd-e6b4637e1c2e
Westbury, Leo D.
08fbb4e9-305c-4724-bd0c-b963a5054229
Bloom, Ilse
c3be559e-5105-4b05-aaab-a95d976f452c
Zhang, Jean
437abe90-46ac-46de-8183-042c36ed3398
Lawrence, Wendy T.
e9babc0a-02c9-41df-a289-7b18f17bf7d8
Barker, Mary E.
374310ad-d308-44af-b6da-515bf5d2d6d2
Ward, Kate A.
39bd4db1-c948-4e32-930e-7bec8deb54c7
Dennison, Elaine M.
ee647287-edb4-4392-8361-e59fd505b1d1
Bevilacqua, Gregorio, Westbury, Leo D., Bloom, Ilse, Zhang, Jean, Lawrence, Wendy T., Barker, Mary E., Ward, Kate A. and Dennison, Elaine M.
(2024)
General self-efficacy, not musculoskeletal health, was associated with social isolation and loneliness in older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic: findings from the Hertfordshire Cohort Study.
Aging Clinical and Experimental Research, 36 (1), [20].
(doi:10.1007/s40520-023-02676-5).
Abstract
Background: social isolation and loneliness are prevalent among older adults. This study investigated factors influencing worsening social isolation and loneliness in community-dwelling older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on musculoskeletal conditions, falls, and fractures.
Methods: we studied 153 participants from the Hertfordshire Cohort Study. Baseline assessments (2019-20) included osteoporosis, clinical osteoarthritis, fractures after age 45 years, falls in previous year, and lifestyle factors. Self-efficacy was assessed using a shortened General Self-Efficacy Scale. Social isolation was assessed using the 6-item Lubben Social Network Scale. Follow-up (2020-21) assessments included social isolation and loneliness using the 6-item De Jong-Gierveld scale for emotional, social, and overall loneliness.
Results: baseline median age was 83.1 years. A history of smoking predicted worsening social isolation (p = 0.046). Being married (p = 0.026) and higher self-efficacy scores (p = 0.03) predicted reduced social isolation at follow-up. Greater alcohol consumption was associated with higher overall loneliness (p = 0.026). Being married was related to a 36% (95% CI: 3%, 58%) reduction in emotional loneliness (p = 0.037). No musculoskeletal condition was associated with social isolation or loneliness. However, we observed a 22% (14%, 30%; p < 0.001) reduction in emotional loneliness and a 12% (4%, 20%; p = 0.003) reduction in overall loneliness per unit increase in self-efficacy score.
Conclusions: no musculoskeletal condition was associated with increased social isolation or loneliness, but longitudinal studies in larger samples are required. Greater self-efficacy was associated with reduced social isolation and reduced loneliness. Interventions promoting self-efficacy in older adults may reduce isolation and loneliness in this age group.
Text
s40520-023-02676-5
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More information
Accepted/In Press date: 8 November 2023
Published date: 3 February 2024
Additional Information:
Funding information:
This work was supported by the Medical Research Council programme grant (MC_PC_21001 and MC_UU_12011/5) and the Economic and Social Research Council and Medical Research Council jointly Lifelong Health & Wellbeing grants (ES/L002663/1). IB and JZ are supported by the NIHR Southampton BRC. The funding bodies played no role in the design of the study or collection, analysis and interpretation of data or in writing the manuscript.
Keywords:
Aged, Aged, 80 and over, COVID-19/epidemiology, Cohort Studies, Humans, Loneliness/psychology, Pandemics, Self Efficacy, Social Isolation/psychology, Ageing, Musculoskeletal conditions, COVID-19 pandemic, Social isolation, Self-efficacy, Loneliness
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 486802
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/486802
ISSN: 1594-0667
PURE UUID: 23962c51-4ea7-42db-837f-b30e82bcc4a5
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Date deposited: 06 Feb 2024 17:42
Last modified: 18 Mar 2024 03:34
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Contributors
Author:
Gregorio Bevilacqua
Author:
Leo D. Westbury
Author:
Ilse Bloom
Author:
Jean Zhang
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