Hajek André, Bock Jens-Oliver, König Hans-Helmut
Department of Health Economics and Health Services Research, Hamburg Center for Health Economics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
PLoS One. 2017 Oct 2;12(10):e0185749. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0185749. eCollection 2017.
Unintentional weight loss (UWL) is common in older age and associated with adverse outcomes including mortality. The aim of the present study was to determine psychosocial correlates of UWL.
Data were derived from a large, nationally representative study of community-dwelling individuals in the second half of life (40 years and over) in Germany in 2014 (n = 7,933). Data on UWL were assessed in face-to-face interviews as unintentional loss of more than 5kg (11 pounds) in weight in the past 12 months, and data on psychosocial factors were recorded in self-administered questionnaires.
Multiple logistic regressions revealed that UWL was positively associated with depressive symptoms and positive affect, whereas it was negatively associated with self-esteem. Individuals with UWL were more likely to feel lonely and perceive themselves as socially excluded.
The findings of important psychosocial correlates of UWL may help to identify individuals at risk for UWL in older age. This is in particular important since interventions to treat this phenomenon in older age are available that reduce adverse consequences resulting from UWL.
非故意体重减轻（UWL）在老年人中很常见，并且与包括死亡率在内的不良后果相关。本研究的目的是确定UWL的社会心理相关因素。
数据来源于2014年德国一项针对社区居住的中老年人（40岁及以上）的大型全国代表性研究（n = 7,933）。在面对面访谈中，将过去12个月内体重非故意减轻超过5千克（11磅）评估为UWL数据，社会心理因素数据通过自填问卷记录。
多项逻辑回归显示，UWL与抑郁症状和积极情绪呈正相关，而与自尊呈负相关。有UWL的个体更有可能感到孤独，并认为自己被社会排斥。
UWL重要社会心理相关因素的研究结果可能有助于识别老年人中存在UWL风险的个体。这一点尤为重要，因为目前已有针对老年人中这一现象的干预措施，可减少UWL带来的不良后果。
