Role of non-face-to-face social contacts in moderating the association between living alone and mental health among community-dwelling older adults: a cross-sectional study.
Public Health
; 194: 25-28, 2021 May.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-33848815
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE:
We examined the association between living alone and mental health and the moderating effects of face-to-face and non-face-to-face social contacts, among community-dwelling older adults. STUDYDESIGN:
Cross-sectional study.METHODS:
This cross-sectional study recruited Japanese adults older than 60 years, who attended health check-ups held in a suburban town hall in July and August of 2018 and 2019. As mental health outcomes, depression was assessed using the Geriatric Depression Scale 15-items, loneliness was assessed using the University of California, Los Angeles Loneliness Scale 3-items, and happiness was self-rated on a 10-point scale. Face-to-face social contacts were evaluated by participants' frequency of meetings with relatives or friends, whereas non-face-to-face contacts were measured by the frequency of interactions via letter, telephone or e-mail. Multivariable linear regression analysis was conducted to examine the association between living alone with each mental health outcome and the effect modifications of having face-to-face and non-face-to-face social contacts.RESULTS:
Data from 300 older adults were analysed. The participants' mean age was 73.0 years, 51.3% were female, and 16.0% lived alone. Living alone was significantly associated with poorer mental health. Regarding loneliness and low happiness, having face-to-face and non-face-to-face contacts more than once a week alleviated the adverse association of living alone (loneliness face-to-face contacts, P = 0.020; non-face-to-face contacts, P = 0.028; happiness face-to-face contacts, P = 0.020; non-face-to-face contacts, P = 0.001).CONCLUSIONS:
Our findings suggest that non-face-to-face, as well as face-to-face social contacts have a moderating effect on the adverse association of living alone with loneliness and happiness.Key words
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Depression
/
Independent Living
/
Social Interaction
/
Happiness
/
Loneliness
Type of study:
Observational_studies
/
Prevalence_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
Limits:
Aged
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
Country/Region as subject:
Asia
Language:
En
Journal:
Public Health
Year:
2021
Document type:
Article