Risk and Protective Factors of Loneliness among Older Adults: The Significance of Social Isolation and Quality and Type of Contact

ABSTRACTAims:The USA and UK governmental and academic agencies suggest that up to 35% of dementia cases are preventable. We canvassed dementia risk and protective factor awareness among New Zealand older adults to inform the design of a larger survey.Method:The modified Lifestyle for Brain Health scale quantifying dementia risk was introduced to a sample of 304 eligible self-selected participants.Results:Two hundred and sixteen older adults (≥50 years), with mean ± standard deviation age 65.5 ± 11.4 years (50–93 years), completed the survey (71% response rate). Respondents were mostly women (n = 172, 80%), European (n = 207, 96%), and well educated (n = 100, 46%, with a tertiary qualification; including n = 17, 8%, with a postgraduate qualification). Around half of the participants felt that they were at a future risk of living with dementia (n = 101, 47%), and the majority felt that this would change their lives significantly (n = 205, 95%), that lifestyle changes would reduce their risk (n = 197, 91%), and that they could make the necessary changes (n = 189, 88%) and wished to start changes soon (n = 160, 74%). Only 4 of 14 modifiable risk or protective factors for dementia were adequately identified by the participants: physical exercise (81%), depression (76%), brain exercises (75%), and social isolation (83%). Social isolation was the commonly cited risk factor for dementia, while physical exercise was the commonly cited protective factor. Three clusters of brain health literacy were identified: psychosocial, medical, and modifiable.Conclusion:The older adults in our study are not adequately knowledgeable about dementia risk and protective factors. However, they report optimism about modifying risks through lifestyle interventions.

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Risk and protective factors for depressive symptoms among American Indian older adults: Adverse childhood experiences and social support

Aging & Mental Health ◽

10.1080/13607863.2014.938603 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 19 (4) ◽

pp. 371-380 ◽

Cited By ~ 36

Author(s):

Soonhee Roh ◽

Catherine E. Burnette ◽

Kyoung Hag Lee ◽

Yeon-Shim Lee ◽

Scott D. Easton ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Older Adults ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Protective Factors ◽

American Indian ◽

Adverse Childhood Experiences ◽

Risk And Protective Factors ◽

Childhood Experiences ◽

Adverse Childhood

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Food and Nutrient Intake and Diet Quality among Older Americans

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igaa057.3381 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 921-921

Author(s):

Yeon Jin Choi ◽

Eileen Crimmins ◽

Jung Ki Kim ◽

Jennifer Ailshire

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Protective Factors ◽

Diet Quality ◽

Risk And Protective Factors ◽

Healthy Food ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Nutritional Deficiencies ◽

Food Groups ◽

Older Americans ◽

Quality Diet

Abstract A suboptimal diet and nutritional deficiencies can have important influences on health with significant impact among older adults. This study aims to assess the presence of suboptimal dietary intake among older Americans and identify risk and protective factors influencing diet quality. For this study, data from a nationally representative sample of 5,614 community-dwelling older adults over age 54 in the Health and Retirement Study – Health Care and Nutrition Survey were used. Descriptive analyses were conducted to assess average intake of 17 food groups and nutrients and the percentage of respondents who consumed an optimal amount of food and nutrients. Differences in diet quality by sociodemographic, psychosocial, environmental, and geographic factors were assessed using chi-square and OLS regression was used to identify risk and protective factors for good quality diet. Overall, only 10.7% of respondents had a good quality diet (HEI score 81 and above); the majority had diets considered poor or needing improvement. Less than 50% of respondents met dietary guidelines and nutritional goals for most individual food groups and nutrients. Respondents with low socioeconomic status, fewer psychosocial resources, and those who had limited access to healthy food outlets were more likely to have a diet of suboptimal quality. Efforts to remove identified barriers that put older adults at risk for poor nutrition and to provide resources that increase access to healthy food should be made to encourage healthy eating and enhance diet quality.

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A Comparison of Risk and Protective Factors Related to Depressive Symptoms among American Indian and Caucasian Older Adults

Health & Social Work ◽

10.1093/hsw/hlw055 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 42 (1) ◽

pp. e15-e23 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Catherine Elizabeth Burnette ◽

Soonhee Roh ◽

Kyoung Hag Lee ◽

Yeon-Shim Lee ◽

Lisa A. Newland ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Protective Factors ◽

American Indian ◽

Risk And Protective Factors

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Resilience to Loneliness Amongst Older Adults Living in the Bronx, NY, During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igaa057.3494 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 955-956

Author(s):

Karra Harrington ◽

Ruixue Zhaoyang ◽

Stacey Scott ◽

Jennifer Graham-Engeland ◽

Martin Sliwinski

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

New York ◽

New York City ◽

Protective Factors ◽

Social Interactions ◽

York City ◽

Longitudinal Design ◽

Risk And Protective Factors ◽

Living Alone ◽

Daily Exercise

Abstract Older adults may be particularly vulnerable to experiencing loneliness as a result of stay-at-home and social distancing orders during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study evaluated change in loneliness following the COVID-19 outbreak, using a longitudinal design and a validated loneliness measure, in a well-characterized sample who are at heightened risk for COVID-19 due to both age and location. The study included n = 226 older adults aged 70-90 years old, living in the Bronx, New York City, who had completed the 3-item Loneliness Scale prior to and during the peak of the COVID-19 outbreak in New York City. There was no evidence of significant increases in mean loneliness from pre- to post-COVID-19 outbreak. Multiple regression analyses were used to identify risk and protective factors for change in loneliness during the COVID-19 outbreak, adjusting for pre-outbreak loneliness. Living alone, higher levels of education, greater worry about contracting the coronavirus, and limiting of daily exercise activities were risk factors for greater loneliness after the outbreak. In contrast, Black race, older age, greater social support and frequent social interactions via video call, all related to lower levels of loneliness after the outbreak.The outcomes of this study demonstrate substantial resilience among older adults to loneliness in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and highlight key risk and protective factors that may play an important role in individual differences in loneliness as pandemic-driven isolation continues.

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