Zeytinoglu Meltem, Wroblewski Kristen E, Vokes Tamara J, Huisingh-Scheetz Megan, Hawkley Louise C, Huang Elbert S
University of Chicago Medicine, IL, USA.
University of Chicago, IL, USA.
Gerontol Geriatr Med. 2021 Jan 29;7:2333721421989217. doi: 10.1177/2333721421989217. eCollection 2021 Jan-Dec.
Falls represent a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in older adults, and are more common among those living alone. We aimed to determine if there is an association between loneliness and falls. Participants were surveyed in three waves separated by 5 years. We used the three-item UCLA Loneliness Scale to measure loneliness. Data from 2337 respondents, with both loneliness and fall data in at least two consecutive waves, were included. Over three waves, 51% respondents reported a fall and 23% reported ≥ two falls. In multivariate analysis, the odds of having ≥ one fall 5 years later increased by a factor of 1.11 per one point increase on the loneliness scale (OR = 1.11, 95% CI 1.04, 1.19; < .01). Lonely older adults have increased odds of future falls. Strategies for combating loneliness in older adults may help reduce fall-related morbidity and mortality.
跌倒在老年人中是发病和死亡的一个重要原因，且在独居老人中更为常见。我们旨在确定孤独与跌倒之间是否存在关联。对参与者进行了三次调查，每次调查间隔5年。我们使用三项版的加州大学洛杉矶分校孤独量表来测量孤独感。纳入了来自2337名受访者的数据，这些受访者在至少连续两次调查中均有孤独感和跌倒数据。在三次调查中，51%的受访者报告有跌倒，23%的受访者报告跌倒≥两次。在多变量分析中，孤独量表上每增加一分，5年后发生≥一次跌倒的几率就会增加1.11倍（比值比=1.11，95%置信区间1.04, 1.19；P<0.01）。孤独的老年人未来跌倒的几率会增加。应对老年人孤独感的策略可能有助于降低与跌倒相关的发病率和死亡率。
