Wu Richard, Pomeroy Mary Louise, Prichett Laura, Duchen Jessica, Runge Katherine, Andes Laura, Williams Nicole, Thorpe Roland J, Latkin Carl, Boyd Cynthia, Cudjoe Thomas K M
Medical School, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA.
School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Gerontologist. 2025 Apr 9;65(5). doi: 10.1093/geront/gnaf017.
Social isolation is an increasing public health concern. Older residents in subsidized housing may be susceptible to isolation given high rates of chronic illness/disabilities, low income, and living alone. This cross-sectional study examined correlates of social isolation among over 3,000 older adults from nearly 100 subsidized housing communities across the United States.
Respondent Lubben Social Network Scale-6 scores, demographic data, and health information were collected in 2019 by a nonprofit housing organization and linked to the Neighborhood Atlas Area Deprivation Index. Associations between social isolation and other variables were assessed using logistic regression.
The mean respondent age was 75.9 years; 67% were female, 33% were male, 38.8% were White, 15.5% were Black, 7.8% were Hispanic, and 27.5% were Asian. Among all respondents, 29.8% were isolated. Adjusting for demographics, multilevel logistic regressions demonstrated significant associations between isolation and poor self-rated health, functional impairment, mental health distress, and knowing/relying on fewer neighbors.
This study sheds light on the prevalence and correlates of social isolation among older adults who live in subsidized housing managed by a large nonprofit housing organization. The findings from this study suggest that contextual and structural factors must be further investigated to better understand social isolation among older subsidized housing residents. Ultimately, this work informs efforts to identify socially isolated older adults and evidence-based interventions to address this public health concern.
社会隔离日益成为公共卫生领域的关注点。鉴于慢性病/残疾发生率高、收入低且独居，接受补贴住房的老年居民可能易受隔离影响。这项横断面研究调查了来自美国近100个补贴住房社区的3000多名老年人中社会隔离的相关因素。
2019年，一个非营利性住房组织收集了受访者的鲁本社交网络量表-6得分、人口统计学数据和健康信息，并将其与邻里地图区域贫困指数相关联。使用逻辑回归评估社会隔离与其他变量之间的关联。
受访者的平均年龄为75.9岁；67%为女性，33%为男性，38.8%为白人，15.5%为黑人，7.8%为西班牙裔，27.5%为亚裔。在所有受访者中，29.8%处于隔离状态。在对人口统计学因素进行调整后，多层次逻辑回归显示，隔离与自评健康状况差、功能障碍、心理健康困扰以及认识/依赖的邻居较少之间存在显著关联。
本研究揭示了居住在由大型非营利性住房组织管理的补贴住房中的老年人社会隔离的患病率及其相关因素。这项研究的结果表明，必须进一步调查背景和结构因素，以更好地了解接受补贴住房的老年居民中的社会隔离情况。最终，这项工作为识别社会隔离的老年人以及为解决这一公共卫生问题提供循证干预措施的努力提供了信息。
