Making meaningful connections: a profile of social isolation and health among older adults in small town and small city, British Columbia.

OBJECTIVE

The objectives of the study are: (a) to develop a profile of socially isolated older adults (SIOA) in British Columbia (BC) based on sociodemographic and health characteristics and (b) to examine whether SIOA under-or overutilize health care services.

METHOD

This study uses telephone interview data collected from a random sample of 1,064 older adults (65+) in BC. The sample was identified using established criteria from the six-item Lubben Social Network Scale.

RESULTS

The results indicate that 17% of the sample is socially isolated. To summarize, the strongest predictors of social isolation are income, gender, marital status, self-rated health, length of residence, and home ownership. Further analysis indicates that SIOA were not more inclined to overuse health services.

DISCUSSION

The findings underscore the importance of understanding differential profiles of need and service use for SIOA within broader social contexts, and are discussed in terms of their implications for health care policy and program planning for this vulnerable population.