[Validation of the UCLA loneliness scale in an elderly population that live alone]. / Validación de la escala de soledad de UCLA y perfil social en la población anciana que vive sola.

INTRODUCTION: This article examines the growing social phenomenon of elderly people living alone from 2 points of view: the objective loneliness of living alone and the subjective loneliness of feeling lonely. OBJECTIVE: To validate the UCLA loneliness scale as a tool for the overall measurement of loneliness and to determine the social profile in elderly people living alone. METHODS: Observational study carried out over 2 years (2012-2013) to identify elderly people living alone; case-control study to validate the UCLA loneliness scale. The sample was taken from 3 surgeries belonging to 2 Primary Care health centres from urban and rural areas. We studied construct validity, discriminant validity and sensitivity analysis were analysed. RESULTS: Of the elderly population studied 22.3% live alone, 61.7% due to loss of spouse, with a mean age of 70.7 years, and 82.7% women; 17.3% have no family ties and 63.2% feel lonely. UCLA loneliness scale has a construct validity with a high correlation between items. The discriminant validity was confirmed in relation to the elderly who do not live alone, with Cronbach alpha of 0.95, and it is sensitive to change. CONCLUSIONS: One in 4-5 elderly live alone, mainly due to the loss of spouse. There are 3 times as many women as men who live alone. Two out of 3 experience the feeling of loneliness. The UCLA loneliness scale has proved to be a useful and sensitive tool to measure loneliness in the elderly population.

[The Methadone Maintenance Program for intravenous heroin addicts. What information do primary care physicians have?]. / Programa de Mantenimiento con Metadona en heroinómanos por vía intravenosa. Qué información tienen los médicos de atención primaria?

OBJECTIVES: To find the profile of the heroin addict included in the Methadone Maintenance Programme (MMP) and the standard of information which primary care doctors have about these patients. DESIGN: A descriptive crossover study. PATIENTS AND OTHER PARTICIPANTS: All the drug addicts included in the MMP, located at the Drug Dependency Care Centre (DDCC) of the Segovia Red Cross (53 patients) and their respective local doctors (22 doctors). INTERVENTIONS: Reviewing medical records in the DDCC archives and a closed questionnaire submitted to the local doctors. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The patients included in the MMP were, on average: male, aged 28,4 ( +/- 5,4 years), single, urban dwellers, unemployed, polydependent, with average time taking heroin 8.4 years ( +/- 4,5) and with family history of drug-taking in 47,1% of cases. The reason for demanding the MMP was legal problems in 41.5% of cases. 9.4% were referred to the DDCC by health clinics. 15,7% of local doctors referred their drug addicts to the DDCC. 89,5% of local doctors never received medical information from the DDCC. CONCLUSIONS: Legal problems were more important motives than health for requesting inclusion in the MMP. The poor coordination between primary care and the DDCC is notorious, which suggests we should try to establish greater collaboration between the two areas to tackle this problem.

[Evaluation of the chronic airflow obstruction programme]. / Evaluación del programa de la obstrucción crónica al flujo aéreo.

The article evaluates the chronic airflow obstruction programme operating in the Family and Community Medicine Teaching Unit of Segovia since the end of 1987. The evaluation period covers from October 1989 to October 1990. The results are compared with those obtained from the first evaluation made and with the objectives of the programme. The total of cases and population at risk was 111, 41.1% of the target; this low success rate was due to a reduction in the capture of new cases and to a loss of 28.8% of patients from the programme. We obtained a higher number of patients showing clinical improvement and managed to persuade 15% of those at risk to stop smoking. Nevertheless we did not, in general terms, achieve an improvement in the quality of attendance relative to the objectives established for the programme nor relative to the first evaluation period.