Loneliness and associated factors among middle-aged and older adults: cross-sectional and longitudinal survey results from the HAALSI cohort in South Africa.
Aging Ment Health
; 28(8): 1179-1187, 2024 Aug.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38726552
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES:
Longitudinal studies on chronic loneliness and before and during the COVID-19 pandemic are lacking in Africa. The study aimed to estimate the prevalence and associated factors of loneliness and chronic loneliness using cross-sectional and longitudinal data from middle-aged and older adults from rural South Africa.METHOD:
The analysis utilized data from the South African 7-year longitudinal Health and Ageing in Africa A Longitudinal Study of an INDEPTH Community in South Africa (HAALSI) (analytic sample n = 3,418, aged 40 years and older). Loneliness was assessed with a single and 3-item measure.RESULTS:
The proportion of loneliness was 19.5% in the 2021/2022 survey, the incidence of chronic loneliness (having loneliness in wave 2 and 3, and free of loneliness in wave 1) was 18.9%, and the 7-year incidence of loneliness was 41.0%. Comparing the 2019 (pre-COVID-19) to 2021/2022 (during COVID-19 pandemic) surveys participants experienced a significant reduction of loneliness. In cross-sectional and/or longitudinal analyses, we found that younger age, living alone, food insecurity, lack of social engagement, depressed mood, poor life satisfaction, poor sleep quality, impaired cognition, poor self-rated health, functional disability, underweight, obesity, and not living with HIV were associated with a higher prevalence, incidence and/or increases in loneliness.CONCLUSION:
One in five aging adults had acute or chronic loneliness. Several social, mental, and physical health factors were identified as associated with loneliness.Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
COVID-19
/
Solidão
Limite:
Adult
/
Aged
/
Aged80
/
Female
/
Humans
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Male
/
Middle aged
País/Região como assunto:
Africa
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2024
Tipo de documento:
Article