Research and Infrastructure Research Service (RISE) and Department of Internal Medicine, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, VA, USA.
Department of Graduate Studies in Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Bitonte College of Health and Human Services, Youngstown State University, Youngstown, OH, USA.
J Appl Gerontol. 2023 Dec;42(12):2313-2324. doi: 10.1177/07334648231192053. Epub 2023 Jul 30.
In this study, we examined associations of social isolation and loneliness with cognitive impairment among older adults from a Rust Belt region in Southwest Pennsylvania. We used data from the population-based Monongahela-Youghiogheny Healthy Aging Team (MYHAT) study. We found that (a) 11 items combined into two reliable composites of social isolation and loneliness; (b) unique to this study, providing unpaid help to others was an indicator of reduced social isolation; (c) social isolation and loneliness were positively associated with cognitive impairment; and (d) these associations were appreciably attenuated by general health and physical functional status and depressive symptoms, respectively. We concluded that social isolation and loneliness are differentially associated with older adults' cognitive health, and that their effects might operate through separate pathways. Approaches to address social isolation and loneliness should consider the community context and its implications for older adults' cognitive health.
在这项研究中，我们调查了来自宾夕法尼亚州西南部铁锈带地区的老年人的社会隔离和孤独感与认知障碍之间的关联。我们使用了基于人群的莫农加希拉-约戈尼格健康老龄化团队（MYHAT）研究的数据。我们发现：（a）11 项合并为社会隔离和孤独感的两个可靠综合指标；（b）与本研究独特相关的是，向他人提供无偿帮助是减少社会隔离的一个指标；（c）社会隔离和孤独感与认知障碍呈正相关；（d）这些关联分别通过一般健康状况和身体功能状态以及抑郁症状得到明显减弱。我们的结论是，社会隔离和孤独感与老年人的认知健康存在不同的关联，它们的影响可能通过不同的途径发挥作用。解决社会隔离和孤独感的方法应该考虑社区环境及其对老年人认知健康的影响。
