Cargando…

Profiles of Loneliness and Social Isolation in Physically Active and Inactive Older Adults in Rural England

Objective: Loneliness and social isolation are associated with higher risk of morbidity and mortality and physical inactivity in older age. This study explored the socioecological context in which both physically active and inactive older adults experience loneliness and/or social isolation in a UK...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: de Koning, Jolanthe, Richards, Suzanne H, Wood, Grace E R, Stathi, Afroditi
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: MDPI 2021
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8070246/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33918808
http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18083971
_version_ 1783683425631207424
author de Koning, Jolanthe
Richards, Suzanne H
Wood, Grace E R
Stathi, Afroditi
author_facet de Koning, Jolanthe
Richards, Suzanne H
Wood, Grace E R
Stathi, Afroditi
author_sort de Koning, Jolanthe
collection PubMed
description Objective: Loneliness and social isolation are associated with higher risk of morbidity and mortality and physical inactivity in older age. This study explored the socioecological context in which both physically active and inactive older adults experience loneliness and/or social isolation in a UK rural setting. Design: A mixed-methods design employed semi structured interviews and accelerometer-measured moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Interviews explored the personal, social and environmental factors influencing engagement with physical activities, guided by an adapted-socioecological model of physical activity behaviour. Findings: Twenty-four older adults (Mean Age = 73 (5.8 SD); 12 women) were interviewed. Transcripts were thematically analysed and seven profiles of physical activity, social isolation and loneliness were identified. The high-MVPA group had established PA habits, reported several sources of social contact and evaluated their physical environment as activity friendly. The low MVPA group had diverse experiences of past engagement in social activities. Similar to the high MVPA, they reported a range of sources of social contact but they did not perceive the physical environment as activity friendly. Conclusions: Loneliness and/or social isolation was reported by both physically active and inactive older adults. There is wide diversity and complexity in types and intensity of PA, loneliness and social isolation profiles and personal, social and environmental contexts.
format Online
Article
Text
id pubmed-8070246
institution National Center for Biotechnology Information
language English
publishDate 2021
publisher MDPI
record_format MEDLINE/PubMed
spelling pubmed-80702462021-04-26 Profiles of Loneliness and Social Isolation in Physically Active and Inactive Older Adults in Rural England de Koning, Jolanthe Richards, Suzanne H Wood, Grace E R Stathi, Afroditi Int J Environ Res Public Health Article Objective: Loneliness and social isolation are associated with higher risk of morbidity and mortality and physical inactivity in older age. This study explored the socioecological context in which both physically active and inactive older adults experience loneliness and/or social isolation in a UK rural setting. Design: A mixed-methods design employed semi structured interviews and accelerometer-measured moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Interviews explored the personal, social and environmental factors influencing engagement with physical activities, guided by an adapted-socioecological model of physical activity behaviour. Findings: Twenty-four older adults (Mean Age = 73 (5.8 SD); 12 women) were interviewed. Transcripts were thematically analysed and seven profiles of physical activity, social isolation and loneliness were identified. The high-MVPA group had established PA habits, reported several sources of social contact and evaluated their physical environment as activity friendly. The low MVPA group had diverse experiences of past engagement in social activities. Similar to the high MVPA, they reported a range of sources of social contact but they did not perceive the physical environment as activity friendly. Conclusions: Loneliness and/or social isolation was reported by both physically active and inactive older adults. There is wide diversity and complexity in types and intensity of PA, loneliness and social isolation profiles and personal, social and environmental contexts. MDPI 2021-04-09 /pmc/articles/PMC8070246/ /pubmed/33918808 http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18083971 Text en © 2021 by the authors. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
spellingShingle Article
de Koning, Jolanthe
Richards, Suzanne H
Wood, Grace E R
Stathi, Afroditi
Profiles of Loneliness and Social Isolation in Physically Active and Inactive Older Adults in Rural England
title Profiles of Loneliness and Social Isolation in Physically Active and Inactive Older Adults in Rural England
title_full Profiles of Loneliness and Social Isolation in Physically Active and Inactive Older Adults in Rural England
title_fullStr Profiles of Loneliness and Social Isolation in Physically Active and Inactive Older Adults in Rural England
title_full_unstemmed Profiles of Loneliness and Social Isolation in Physically Active and Inactive Older Adults in Rural England
title_short Profiles of Loneliness and Social Isolation in Physically Active and Inactive Older Adults in Rural England
title_sort profiles of loneliness and social isolation in physically active and inactive older adults in rural england
topic Article
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8070246/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33918808
http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18083971
work_keys_str_mv AT dekoningjolanthe profilesoflonelinessandsocialisolationinphysicallyactiveandinactiveolderadultsinruralengland
AT richardssuzanneh profilesoflonelinessandsocialisolationinphysicallyactiveandinactiveolderadultsinruralengland
AT woodgraceer profilesoflonelinessandsocialisolationinphysicallyactiveandinactiveolderadultsinruralengland
AT stathiafroditi profilesoflonelinessandsocialisolationinphysicallyactiveandinactiveolderadultsinruralengland