Centre for Active and Healthy Ageing, Department of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark; Epidemiology of Physical Activity and Fitness Across the Lifespan Research Group, Faculty of Education, University of Seville, Seville, Spain.
School of Social Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
Am J Prev Med. 2021 Aug;61(2):158-164. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2021.02.003. Epub 2021 Apr 10.
Social isolation among older adults is associated with poor health and premature mortality, but its impact on physical functioning is not fully understood. Previous studies have typically relied on community samples, cross-sectional data, and suboptimal prospective designs. This study generates more robust evidence by investigating the longitudinal associations between social isolation and physical functioning in a large panel of older adults.
Analyses were based on 9 waves of data (2011-2019) from a sample of adults aged ≥65 years from the U.S. National Health and Aging Trends Study (N=12,427 individuals; 54,860 person-year observations) and within-individual fixed-effect panel regression models. Analyses were conducted in 2020. Social isolation was measured using the Social Isolation Index, and physical functioning was measured through the Short Physical Performance Battery.
In fully adjusted fixed-effect regression models, each 1-unit increase in the Social Isolation Index resulted in an average decrease of 0.27 units in the Short Physical Performance Battery (95% CI= -0.31, -0.24). This relationship was moderated by age, with the Social Isolation Index bearing a significantly and substantially stronger influence on the Short Physical Performance Battery at older ages than at younger ages.
This study confirms that social isolation is associated with deficits in physical functioning among older adults in the U.S. using more robust data and methods than earlier studies. These findings highlight the importance of incorporating strategies to reduce social isolation in policies aimed at promoting successful aging.
老年人的社会孤立与健康状况不佳和早逝有关，但它对身体机能的影响尚未完全了解。先前的研究通常依赖于社区样本、横断面数据和不太理想的前瞻性设计。本研究通过调查老年人大型样本中社会孤立与身体机能之间的纵向关联，提供了更可靠的证据。
分析基于美国国家健康老龄化趋势研究（N=12427 人；54860 人年观察）中年龄≥65 岁的成年人样本的 9 波数据（2011-2019 年），并采用个体内固定效应面板回归模型。分析于 2020 年进行。社会孤立使用社会孤立指数测量，身体机能通过短体物理表现电池测量。
在完全调整后的固定效应回归模型中，社会孤立指数每增加 1 个单位，短体物理表现电池的平均得分就会下降 0.27 个单位（95%CI=-0.31，-0.24）。这种关系受到年龄的调节，社会孤立指数对短体物理表现电池的影响在老年时比在年轻时更为显著和显著。
本研究使用比早期研究更可靠的数据和方法证实，社会孤立与美国老年人身体机能下降有关。这些发现强调了在旨在促进成功老龄化的政策中纳入减少社会孤立策略的重要性。
