RESUMO
ANTECEDENTES: La soledad es uno de los problemas de salud pública más recurrentes en las personas mayores, sin embargo, en Chile se disponen de escasos datos sobre su prevalencia en personas mayores a 60 años que viven en zonas rurales y que pertenecen a pueblos originarios o al tribal afrodescendiente. OBJETIVO: Examinar la prevalencia de la soledad entre personas mayores que viven en zonas rurales por grupo étnico; y analizar las variables sociodemográficas, familiares y de salud que se relaciona con soledad. MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS: Se aplicó la escala de soledad DJGLS-6, APGAR-familiar, cuestionario de 13 problemas de salud más frecuentes en personas mayores chilenas, e índice de Barthel a 1.692 personas mayores que residen en zonas rurales de las regiones de Arica y Parinacota, Tarapacá, Antofagasta, Atacama, Coquimbo, Valparaíso, Los Lagos, Aisén y Magallanes. RESULTADOS: Se observa una alta prevalencia de la soledad (sobre el 55%) en personas de los pueblos: Afrodescendiente, Quechua, Atacameño, Colla, Chango, Huilliche, Kawesqar y no indígenas. Siendo la soledad emocional la más prevalente entre personas mayores indígenas y no indígenas que viven en zonas rurales (≥ 71%). Las variables que se asocian con soledad son: ser mujer, edad, no tener pareja, vivir solo(a), disfuncionalidad familiar y tener problemas de salud. CONCLUSIONES: La soledad en zonas rurales es más alta en las personas mayores y esta situación se complejiza en el cruce de diversidad étnico cultural, es necesario seguir abordando este problema que afecta el bienestar biopsicosocial en la vejez.
BACKGROUND: Loneliness is one of the most recurrent public health problems in older people. However, there is little data available in Chile on its prevalence in people over 60 years of age living in rural areas and belonging to native or Afro-descendant groups. AIM: To examine the prevalence of loneliness among older people living in rural areas by ethnic group and to analyze the socio-demographic, family, and health variables related to loneliness. METHODS: We interviewed 1,692 elderly people living in Chilean rural areas of the regions of Arica and Parinacota, Tarapacá, Antofagasta, Atacama, Coquimbo, Valparaíso, Los Lagos, Aisén and Magallanes. The instruments applied were the DJGLS-6 loneliness scale, Family-APGAR, questionnaire of 13 most frequent health problems in Chilean older people, and Barthel index. RESULTS: We found a high prevalence of loneliness (over 55%) among Afro-descendants, Quechua, Atacameño, Colla, Chango, Huilliche, Kawesqar and non-indigenous people. Emotional loneliness is the most prevalent among indigenous and non-indigenous older people living in rural areas (≥ 71%). Variables associated with loneliness were being female, age, not having a partner, living alone, family dysfunctionality, and having health problems. CONCLUSIONS: Loneliness in rural areas is higher in older people, and this situation becomes more complex at the crossroads of ethnic-cultural diversity; it is necessary to continue to address this problem that affects biopsychosocial well-being in old age.
Assuntos
Humanos , Masculino , Feminino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , População Rural/estatística & dados numéricos , Fatores Socioeconômicos , Solidão/psicologia , Etnicidade/psicologia , Etnicidade/estatística & dados numéricos , Chile/etnologia , Prevalência , Estudos Transversais , Inquéritos e Questionários , Fatores de Risco , Fatores SociodemográficosRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Loneliness is one of the most recurrent public health problems in older people. However, there is little data available in Chile on its prevalence in people over 60 years of age living in rural areas and belonging to native or Afro-descendant groups. AIM: To examine the prevalence of loneliness among older people living in rural areas by ethnic group and to analyze the socio-demographic, family, and health variables related to loneliness. METHODS: We interviewed 1,692 elderly people living in Chilean rural areas of the regions of Arica and Parinacota, Tarapacá, Antofagasta, Atacama, Coquimbo, Valparaíso, Los Lagos, Aisén and Magallanes. The instruments applied were the DJGLS-6 loneliness scale, Family-APGAR, questionnaire of 13 most frequent health problems in Chilean older people, and Barthel index. RESULTS: We found a high prevalence of loneliness (over 55%) among Afro-descendants, Quechua, Atacameño, Colla, Chango, Huilliche, Kawesqar and non-indigenous people. Emotional loneliness is the most prevalent among indigenous and non-indigenous older people living in rural areas (≥ 71%). Variables associated with loneliness were being female, age, not having a partner, living alone, family dysfunctionality, and having health problems. CONCLUSIONS: Loneliness in rural areas is higher in older people, and this situation becomes more complex at the crossroads of ethnic-cultural diversity; it is necessary to continue to address this problem that affects biopsychosocial well-being in old age.