Social isolation due to COVID-19: impact on loneliness, sedentary behavior, and falls in older adults

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Beatriz Caruso Soares ◽  
Daniele Alves Costa ◽  
Juliana de Faria Xavier ◽  
Larissa Alamino Pereira de Viveiro ◽  
Thaiany Pedrozo Campos Antunes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Sedentary Behavior ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Falls In Older Adults

Impact of Social Isolation on Physical Activity and Factors Associated With Sedentary Behavior in Older Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Giovana Z. Mazo ◽  
Felipe Fank ◽  
Pedro S. Franco ◽  
Bruna da Silva Vieira Capanema ◽  
Franciele da Silva Pereira
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Sedentary Behavior ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Low Income Countries ◽  
Moderate Physical Activity ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
The Impact

The objective was to analyze the impact of social isolation on moderate physical activity and factors associated with sedentary behavior of older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. This was a cross-sectional study involving 111 older adults (aged 71.0 ± 6.87 years). The data were collected at two time points: in November 2019 and in June 2020. There was a decline in moderate physical activity when the minutes/week were compared before and during social isolation (p < .001). Sedentary behavior was associated with the condition of living alone. Older adults who lived alone were 3.29 times more likely to spend 4 hr or more in sedentary behavior than those who lived with a partner (95% confidence interval [1.01, 10.74]). Government agencies must establish PA-related health promotion strategies, especially in developing and low-income countries. Therefore, home exercises need to be encouraged to prevent the consequences of this pandemic period.

Combined Impact of Physical Frailty and Social Isolation on Rate of Falls in Older Adults

2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 312-318 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Hayashi ◽  
Hiroyuki Umegaki ◽  
T. Makino ◽  
C.H. Huang ◽  
A. Inoue ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Physical Frailty ◽  
Falls In Older Adults ◽  
Combined Impact

scholarly journals Is Sedentary Behavior or Physical Activity Associated With Loneliness in Older Adults? Results of the European-Wide SITLESS Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 549-555 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark A. Tully ◽  
Ilona I. McMullan ◽  
Nicole E. Blackburn ◽  
Jason J. Wilson ◽  
Laura Coll-Planas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Sedentary Behavior ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Living Arrangements ◽  
Social Engagement ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Educational Background ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Objectively Measured

Research has found that social relationships are central to the health and well-being of an aging population. Evidence exploring the association between physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior (SB) with social isolation and loneliness is limited. This study uses objectively measured PA and SB (ActiGraph®) and self-reported measures of loneliness (the De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale) and social engagement (the Lubben Social Network Scale) from the SITLESS study, a European-wide study of community-dwelling older adults. Social isolation was associated with SB where higher levels of SB were associated with an increase in the level of social isolation, controlling for age, sex, living arrangements, employment status, body mass index, educational background, marital status, and self-reported general health. In contrast, PA was not associated with social isolation, and neither SB nor PA was a statistically significant predictor of loneliness. SB may be linked to social isolation in older adults, but PA and SB are not necessarily linked to loneliness in older community-dwelling adults.

scholarly journals “They're Going to Zoom It”: A Qualitative Investigation of Impacts and Coping Strategies During the COVID-19 Pandemic Among Older Adults

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mikael Anne Greenwood-Hickman ◽  
Jacklyn Dahlquist ◽  
Julie Cooper ◽  
Erika Holden ◽  
Jennifer B. McClure ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Sedentary Behavior ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Life Experiences ◽  
Health Impacts ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Social Distancing ◽  
Negative Impacts ◽  
Iterative Coding ◽  
And Coping

Introduction: Older adults, who already have higher levels of social isolation, loneliness, and sedentary behavior, are particularly susceptible to negative impacts from social distancing mandates meant to control the spread of COVID-19. We sought to explore the physical, mental, and social health impacts of the pandemic on older adults and their coping techniques.Materials and Methods: We conducted 25 semi-structured interviews with a sub-sample of participants in an ongoing sedentary behavior reduction intervention. Interviews were recorded and transcribed, and iterative coding was used to extract key themes.Results: Most participants reported an increase in sedentary behavior due to limitations on leaving their home and increased free time to pursue seated hobbies (e.g., reading, knitting, tv). However, many participants also reported increased levels of intentional physical activity and exercise, particularly outdoors or online. Participants also reported high levels of stress and a large decrease in in-person social connection. Virtual connection with others through phone and video was commonly used to stay connected with friends and family, engage in community groups and activities, and cope with stress and social isolation. Maintenance of a positive attitude and perspective gained from past hardships was also an important coping strategy for many participants.Discussion: The COVID-19 pandemic and associated social distancing measures have impacted older adults' perceived levels of activity, stress, and social isolation, but many leveraged technology and prior life experiences to cope. These themes could inform future interventions for older adults dealing with chronic stress and isolation.

Social isolation and health in older adults

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
John T. Cacioppo ◽  
Louise C. Hawkley
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Isolation

Addressing Social Isolation To Improve the Health of Older Adults: A Rapid Review

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie Veazie ◽  
Jennifer Gilbert ◽  
Kara Winchell ◽  
Robin Paynter ◽  
Jeanne-Marie Guise
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Rapid Review

Addressing COVID-19 Worry and Social Isolation in Home-Based Primary Care

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel Elizabeth Weiskittle ◽  
Michelle Mlinac ◽  
LICSW Nicole Downing
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Primary Care ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Mental Health Providers ◽  
Health Providers ◽  
Home Based Primary Care ◽  
Home Based ◽  
Socially Isolated

Social distancing measures following the outbreak of COVID-19 have led to a rapid shift to virtual and telephone care. Social workers and mental health providers in VA home-based primary care (HBPC) teams face challenges providing psychosocial support to their homebound, medically complex, socially isolated patient population who are high risk for poor health outcomes related to COVID-19. We developed and disseminated an 8-week telephone or virtual group intervention for front-line HBPC social workers and mental health providers to use with socially isolated, medically complex older adults. The intervention draws on skills from evidence-based psychotherapies for older adults including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, and Problem-Solving Therapy. The manual was disseminated to VA HBPC clinicians and geriatrics providers across the United States in March 2020 for expeditious implementation. Eighteen HBPC teams and three VA Primary Care teams reported immediate delivery of a local virtual or telephone group using the manual. In this paper we describe the manual’s development and clinical recommendations for its application across geriatric care settings. Future evaluation will identify ways to meet longer-term social isolation and evolving mental health needs for this patient population as the pandemic continues.

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