Educational Differences in Self-Rated Health Trends Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults Living Alone, 1972–2018

2022 ◽  
pp. 089826432110527
Author(s):  
Esther O. Lamidi
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Living Arrangements ◽  
Living Arrangement ◽  
Living Alone ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Older Americans ◽  
Health Trends ◽  
Self Rated Health ◽  
Educational Differences ◽  
Middle Aged Adults

Objectives: This study examines educational differences in living alone and in self-rated health trends among middle-aged and older adults. Methods: We used logistic regression to analyze data from the 1972–2018 National Health Interview Survey ( n = 795,239 aged 40–64; n = 357,974 aged 65–84). Results: Between 1972–1974 and 2015–2018, living alone became more prevalent, particularly among men and at lower levels of education. Self-rated health trends varied by living arrangement and education. We found self-rated health declines among middle-aged adults having no college degree and living alone, but trends in self-rated health were mostly stable or even improved among middle-aged adults living with others. Among older adults, self-rated health improved over time, but for the least-educated older Americans living alone, the probability of reporting fair or poor health increased between 1972–1974 and 2015–2018. Discussion: The findings suggest growing disparities by social class, in living arrangements and in self-rated health.

A Longitudinal Analysis of the Association Between Living Arrangements and Health Among Older Adults in China

2016 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 72-97 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zi Zhou ◽  
Fanzhen Mao ◽  
Jiaping Ma ◽  
Shichao Hao ◽  
Zhengmin (Min) Qian ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Living Arrangements ◽  
Living Arrangement ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Living Alone ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Self Rated Health ◽  
Health Differences ◽  
Adl Disability

This article used the nationally representative Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey to explore the associations between living arrangements and health among older adults. Living arrangements were stratified into six categories. Health was measured by self-rated health, activities of daily living (ADL) disability, and cognitive impairment. Random-effects ordered probit regressions were applied. The results indicated that coresidence had a positive effect on self-rated health compared with living alone. After introducing psychological well-being, the health differences observed in living with a spouse and living with both spouse and children were not significant. Participants with each of the living arrangement were more likely to have a higher rate of cognitive impairment and ADL disability than those living alone. Living arrangements were associated with older adults’ health. Psychological well-being was a key factor in this association, which may result from living with a spouse, and could contribute to the self-rated health of older adults.

Still Feeling Better? Trends in Self-Rated Health of Older Adults in the U.S

2020 ◽  
pp. 016402752096365
Author(s):  
Esther O. Lamidi
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Later Life ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Poor Health ◽  
Elderly Persons ◽  
Health Trends ◽  
Self Rated Health ◽  
Middle Aged Adults ◽  
Over Time

Previous analyses showed an overall pattern of improvement in self-rated health of U.S. older adults in the 1980s and the 1990s, but it was uncertain if the declining shares of elderly persons reporting fair or poor health would continue over the next decades. Using the 2000–2018 pooled data from the National Health Interview Survey, this study examined recent trends in self-rated health of adults aged 45 and older. The results showed important variations in self-rated health trends across age groups. Between 2000 and 2018, the shares of adults aged 60 and above reporting fair or poor health declined significantly while self-rated health trends for middle-aged adults worsened over time. Educational and racial/ethnic differentials in self-rated health persisted over time but there were important group variations. To further improve the health of the elderly population, it is important to consider changing health disparities in later life.

scholarly journals Loneliness, isolation and living alone associate with psychological well-being among the older adults in Taipei

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 926-926
Author(s):  
Hui-chuan Hsu
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Psychological Health ◽  
Multinomial Logistic Regression ◽  
Living Arrangement ◽  
Senior Citizen ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Living Alone ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Self Rated Health ◽  
Economic Satisfaction

Abstract Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the clustering of loneliness, isolation, and living alone, the risk factors and the associations with psychological wellbeing. Methods: The data were from the 2019 Taipei City Senior Citizen Condition Survey collected by face-to-face interviews, which included aged 60 and above community-based and institution-based samples. The completed sample was 3,853 persons. Loneliness, isolation, and living arrangement were analysed by cluster analysis to define the Loneliness-Isolation-Living Alone clusters. Multinomial logistic regression was used to examine the related factors to LIL clusters. Results: Four clusters of the older adults were identified and named as following: Connected (44.1%), Alone /Institutionalized (9.2%); Lonely (10.7%); and Isolated (22.0%). Compared with the Connected cluster, the Alone/Institutionalized cluster was more likely to have higher education, more IADL difficulties, more diseases , lower economic satisfaction, more likely to be males, having no spouse, and no children; the Lonely cluster was more likely to poor self-rated health, lower financial satisfaction, feeling less age-friendliness, more likely to be older, female, and no spouse; the Isolated cluster was more likely to have lower education, reported poorer self-rated health, lower economic satisfaction, and being older. The Alone/Institutionalized cluster and the Lonely cluster had higher depressive symptoms; the Alone/Institutionalized, Lonely, and Isolated clusters reported lower life satisfaction and had higher risks of cognitive impairment. Discussion: Loneliness, isolation, and living alone jointly associate with psychological health and well-being. High risk older populations may need social care and encourage social participation to promote health and wellbeing.

scholarly journals Greater Risk of Negative Health Outcomes of Older Adults Living Alone in Vietnam: A Community Survey

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (21) ◽  
pp. 11115
Author(s):  
Man Thi Hue Vo ◽  
Keiko Nakamura ◽  
Kaoruko Seino ◽  
Thang Van Vo
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Living Arrangements ◽  
Fear Of Falling ◽  
Living Arrangement ◽  
Community Survey ◽  
Living Alone ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Solitary Living

In modern Asian societies, there has been a shift in the living arrangements of older adults away from living with others. Knowing the health characteristics of individuals living alone can help identify high-risk groups. This cross-sectional study aimed to describe characteristics of the Vietnamese older adults and to investigate the association between living alone and their reported health outcomes by utilizing survey data of individuals aged ≥60 years in Vietnam in 2018. The community survey included questions about sociodemographic factors, living arrangement, and self-reported physical functional status. Multivariate logistic regression was used to examine whether or not living alone was a predictor of health outcomes. Of 725 study participants, 8.9% lived alone. These participants were more likely to be female, aged 70–79 years, living in rural areas, and currently single or previously married. After adjusting for covariates, older adults who were living alone were more likely to have arthritis (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.95, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.10–3.45), a history of falling (AOR = 2.44, 95% CI: 1.02–5.82), visual difficulties (AOR = 1.89, 95% CI: 1.04–3.41), feelings of loneliness (AOR = 1.95, 95% CI: 1.10–3.47), and high fear of falling (AOR = 1.88, 95% CI: 1.02–3.46). Older adults living alone in Vietnam were at greater risk of negative health consequences than those living with others. Screening and providing adequate social support for this specific population is important in preventing the adverse effects of solitary living among these older adults.

scholarly journals Social Disconnection and Living Arrangements among Older Adults: The Singapore Chinese Health Study

Gerontology ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Jon Barrenetxea ◽  
Yi Yang ◽  
An Pan ◽  
Qiushi Feng ◽  
Woon-Puay Koh
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Living Arrangement ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Living Alone ◽  
Health Study ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Self Rated Health ◽  
Singapore Chinese ◽  
Social Disconnection

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> Although living alone is associated with social disconnection, older adults could be socially disconnected despite living with others. Understanding the factors associated with social disconnection by living arrangement could help identify vulnerable older adults in the community. We examined the sociodemographic and health factors associated with social disconnection among two groups of older adults: those living alone and those living with others. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> We used data from 16,943 community-dwelling older adults from the third follow-up of the Singapore Chinese Health Study (mean age: 73 years, range: 61–96 years). We defined social disconnection as having no social participation and scoring in the lowest decile on the Duke Social Support Scale of perceived social support. We ran logistic regression models to study the sociodemographic (age, gender, and education) and health (self-rated health, instrumental limitations, cognitive function, and depression) factors associated with social disconnection, stratified by living arrangement. <b><i>Results:</i></b> About 6% of our participants were socially disconnected. Although living alone was significantly associated with social disconnection (OR 1.93, 95% CI: 1.58–2.35), 85.6% of socially disconnected older adults lived with others, most of them (92%) with family. Lower education level, cognitive impairment, fair/poor self-rated health, instrumental limitations, and depression were independently associated with social disconnection. Among those living alone, men were more likely to experience social disconnection than women (OR 2.18, 95% CI: 1.43–3.32). <b><i>Discussion/Conclusion:</i></b> Though living alone is associated with social disconnection, most socially disconnected individuals lived with family. Community interventions could focus on those in poor health despite living with family and older men living alone.

scholarly journals Coresidence Increases Risk of Testing Positive for COVID-19 Among Older Brazilians

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 972-972
Author(s):  
Flavia Andrade ◽  
Nekehia Quashie ◽  
Luisa Schwartzman
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Living Arrangements ◽  
Living Arrangement ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Physical Contact ◽  
Living Alone ◽  
Sample Survey ◽  
Vulnerable Groups ◽  
Intergenerational Coresidence ◽  
Nationally Representative

Abstract Brazil is among the countries hit hardest by COVID-19, and older adults are among the vulnerable groups. Intergenerational coresidence and interdependence among family members, both prevalent in Brazil, likely increase social and physical contact. Using nationally representative data from the COVID-19 module of the Brazilian National Household Sample Survey, collected from July to November of 2020, we examined the association between living arrangements and exposure to and testing for COVID-19 among 63,816 Brazilians 60+. Our multivariate analyses utilize multilevel mixed-effects Poisson regression to examine the association between living arrangements and the COVID-19 outcome measures. Results show that those living alone were more likely to report having symptoms and having had a test for COVID-19. However, older adults in multigenerational (PR=1.532, 95% CI 1.15, 2.04, p&lt;0.001) and skipped generation households (PR=1.607, 95% CI 1.04, 2.48, p&lt;0.001) were more likely than solo-dwellers to test positive for COVID-19. Those with symptoms were more likely to test, regardless of their living arrangement. Among older adults without symptoms, those living alone had a higher probability of testing than those living in multigenerational or skipped-generation households. Overall, our findings suggest that coresidence with younger family members is a risk factor for older adults’ health due to the higher COVID-19 positivity. As younger Brazilians are increasingly vulnerable to COVID-19 and experiencing severe outcomes, policy makers need to be more attentive to the health needs of households that comprise older and younger cohorts, which are also more prevalent in poor and marginalized segments of the population.

scholarly journals Emergency hospital admissions among older adults living alone in the community

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jon Barrenetxea ◽  
Kelvin Bryan Tan ◽  
Rachel Tong ◽  
Kevin Chua ◽  
Qiushi Feng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Health Status ◽  
Living Arrangements ◽  
Hospital Admissions ◽  
Living Arrangement ◽  
Joint Effect ◽  
Living Alone ◽  
Health Study ◽  
P Value ◽  
Singapore Chinese

Abstract Background Among older adults, living alone is often associated with higher risk of Emergency Department (ED) admissions. However, older adults living alone are very heterogeneous in terms of health. As more older adults choose to live independently, it remains unclear if the association between living alone and ED admissions is moderated by health status. We studied the association between living alone and ED admission outcomes (number of admissions, inpatient days and inpatient costs) among older adults with and without multimorbidity. Methods We used data from 16,785 individuals of the third follow-up of the Singapore Chinese Health Study, a population-based cohort of older Singapore Chinese (mean age: 73(61-96) years). Participants were interviewed face-to-face from 2014 to 2016 for sociodemographic/health factors and followed-up for one year on ED admission outcomes using Singapore Ministry of Health’s Mediclaim Database. We first applied multivariable logistic regression and two-part models to test if living alone is a risk factor for ED admission outcomes. We then ran stratified and joint effect analysis to examine if the associations between living alone and ED admission outcomes were moderated by multimorbidity. Results Compared to living with others, living alone was associated with higher odds of ED admission [Odds Ratio (OR) 1.28, 95 % Confidence Interval(CI) 1.08-1.51)], longer inpatient days (+0.61, 95 %CI 0.25-0.97) and higher inpatient costs (+322 USD, 95 %CI 54-591). The interaction effects of living arrangement and multimorbidity on ED admissions and inpatient costs were not statistically different, whereas the interaction between living arrangements and multimorbidity on inpatient days was borderline significant (p-value for interaction=0.050). Compared to those living with others and without multimorbidity, the relative mean increase was 1.13 inpatient days (95 %CI 0.39-1.86) for those living alone without multimorbidity, and 0.73 inpatient days ( 95 %CI 0.29-1.17) for those living alone with multimorbidity. Conclusions Older adults living alone were at higher risk of ED admission and higher inpatient costs regardless of multimorbidity, while those living alone without multimorbidity had the longest average inpatient days. To enable aging in place while avoiding ED admissions, interventions could provide instrumental support and regular health monitoring to older adults living alone, regardless of their health status.

scholarly journals Living Arrangement Modifies the Associations of Loneliness with Adverse Health Outcomes in Older Adults: Evidence From the CLHLS

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kai Wei ◽  
Yong Liu ◽  
Junjie Yang ◽  
Nannan Gu ◽  
Xinyi Cao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Living Arrangements ◽  
Living Arrangement ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Living Alone ◽  
Adverse Health ◽  
Adverse Health Outcomes ◽  
Physical Functions ◽  
Community Dwelling Older Adults

Abstract Background: Although it has been suggested that loneliness is a risk factor for adverse health outcomes, living arrangement may confound the association. This study aimed to investigate whether the associations of loneliness with adverse health outcomes differ in community-dwelling older adults according to different living arrangements.Methods: In the 2008/2009 wave of Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey, 16255 community-dwelling older adults (≥65 years) were recruited. Living arrangements and feelings of loneliness were assessed. Health outcomes including cognitive and physical functions were assessed using MMSE, ADL/IADL scales and Frailty Index in the 2008/2009 and 2011/2012 waves; mortality was assessed in the 3-year follow-up from 2008/2009 to 2011/2012. The associations of loneliness with adverse health outcomes accroding to different living arrangements were estimated using logistic regression or Cox proportional hazards regression models. Interactions between living arrangement and loneliness on adverse health outcomes were also investigated.Results: Older adults who were lonely (47.8% of those living alone and 25% of those living with others) had higher prevalence of cognitive impairment, frailty and 3-year mortality than older adults without loneliness, especially among those who lived with others (OR=1.31, 95% CI=1.15-1.51; OR=1.42, 95% CI=1.26-1.60; HR=1.16, 95% CI=1.07-1.26, respecitvely). In contrast, among the living alone older adults, loneliness was only associated with higher prevalence of frailty (OR=1.41, 95% CI=1.06-1.88). Living arrangement modified the associations of loneliness with prevalent cognitive impairment and mortality (P values for interactions=0.006 and 0.015, respectively).Conclusions: Living arrangement modifies the associations of loneliness with adverse health outcomes in community-dwelling older adults, and those who lived with others but felt lonely had worse cognitive and physical functions as well as higher mortality. Special attention should be paid to this population to reduce adverse health outcomes.

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