Social isolation in individuals aged 50+: what is the role of the internet? (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrícia Silva ◽  
Alice Delerue Matos ◽  
Roberto Martinez-Pecino
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Logistic Regression ◽  
Regression Analysis ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Health Determinants ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Internet Users

UNSTRUCTURED Social isolation has a negative impact on the quality of life of older people, which is why studies have focussed on identifying its sociodemographic, economic and health determinants. In view of the growing importance of the internet as a means of communication, it is important to examine the extent to which this technology also contributes to social isolation or, conversely, counters it. This study specifically aims to clarify this relationship for which other surveys present contradictory results. The current research uses a logistic regression analysis and a sample of 66,998 individuals aged 50+ from 17 European countries (Portugal, Greece, Italy, Spain, Denmark, Sweden, Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Switzerland, Luxemburg, Poland, Czech Republic; Slovenia, Estonia, and Croatia) plus Israel, who were interviewed in SHARE (Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe)- wave 6. The results show that countries differ in the level of social isolation and rate of internet use by individuals aged 50+. They also point to a lower social isolation of the internet users when compared to the non-users, in most of the countries analyzed, after controlling for a set of socio-demographic, economic and health characteristics of the individuals, described in the literature as determinants of social isolation. The results underline the importance of promoting e-inclusion in Europe as a way to deal with social isolation.

scholarly journals The Prevalence of Insomnia Symptoms and Its Association With Quality of Life Among Clinically Stable Older Patients With Psychiatric Disorders in China During the COVID-19 Outbreak

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiuying Xu ◽  
Wen Li ◽  
Siyun Zou ◽  
Yulong Li ◽  
Huan Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Logistic Regression ◽  
Regression Analysis ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Older Patients ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Psychiatric Patients ◽  
Analysis Of Covariance ◽  
Insomnia Symptoms

Abstract Aims: The negative impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on sleep quality of clinically stable psychiatric patients is unknown. This study examined the prevalence of insomnia symptoms and its association with quality of life (QOL) in clinically stable older psychiatric patients during the COVID-19 outbreak. Methods: This multicenter, cross-sectional study involved older patients attending maintenance-treatment at the outpatient departments of four major psychiatric hospitals in China. Patients’ basic socio-demographic and clinical characteristics were collected. Insomnia symptoms, depressive symptoms, and QOL were assessed with the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), and two items of the World Health Organization Quality of Life-brief version (WHOQOL-BREF), respectively. Binary logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine the independent associations of socio-demographic and clinical variables with insomnia symptoms, while the association between insomnia symptoms and QOL was examined with analysis of covariance.Results: A total of 941 patients were recruited. The prevalence of insomnia symptoms was 57.1% (95% CI: 53.9-60.2%). Analysis of covariance revealed that QOL was significantly lower in patients with insomnia symptoms compared to those without them (P<0.01). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that insomnia symptoms were positively and independently associated with more severe depressive symptoms (P<0.01, OR=1.31, 95%CI: 1.26-1.37). Compared to patients with major depressive disorder, those with other psychiatric diagnoses had significantly higher prevalence of insomnia symptoms (P=0.03, OR=1.47, 95%CI: 1.02-2.12).Conclusions: Insomnia symptoms were common among clinically stable older psychiatric patients during the COVID-19 outbreak. Considering their negative impact on QOL, regular assessment and treatment of insomnia symptoms need to be addressed in this population.

scholarly journals Study on the relationship of depression, anxiety, lifestyle and eating habits with the severity of reflux esophagitis

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rongxin Wang ◽  
Jing Wang ◽  
Shuiqing Hu
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Logistic Regression ◽  
Regression Analysis ◽  
Logistic Regression Analysis ◽  
Reflux Esophagitis ◽  
Eating Habits ◽  
Positive Correlation ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract Background The etiology of reflux esophagitis (RE) is multi-factorial. This study analyzed the relationship of depression, anxiety, lifestyle and eating habits with RE and its severity and further explored the impact of anxiety and depression on patients’ symptoms and quality of life. Methods From September 2016 to February 2018, a total of 689 subjects at Xuanwu Hospital Capital Medical University participated in this survey. They were divided into the RE group (patients diagnosed with RE on gastroscopy, n = 361) and the control group (healthy individuals without heartburn, regurgitation and other gastrointestinal symptoms, n = 328). The survey included general demographic information, lifestyle habits, eating habits, comorbidities, current medications, the gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) questionnaire (GerdQ), the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 depression scale and the General Anxiety Disorder-7 anxiety scale. Results The mean age and sex ratio of the two groups were similar. Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified the following factors as related to the onset of RE (p < 0.05): low education level; drinking strong tea; preferences for sweets, noodles and acidic foods; sleeping on a low pillow; overeating; a short interval between dinner and sleep; anxiety; depression; constipation; history of hypertension; and use of oral calcium channel blockers. Ordinal logistic regression analysis revealed a positive correlation between sleeping on a low pillow and RE severity (p = 0.025). Depression had a positive correlation with the severity of symptoms (rs = 0.375, p < 0.001) and patients’ quality of life (rs = 0.306, p < 0.001), whereas anxiety showed no such association. Conclusions Many lifestyle factors and eating habits were correlated with the onset of RE. Notably, sleeping on a low pillow was positively correlated with RE severity, and depression was positively related to the severity of symptoms and patients’ quality of life.

scholarly journals Social isolation and quarantine in the COVID-19 pandemic: impacts on mental health and quality of population life

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. e30510212535
Author(s):  
Gabriel Kiaro Leite Nunes ◽  
Karinne Alice Santos de Araújo ◽  
Thais Ranielle Souza de Oliveira ◽  
Marcelina da Conceição Botelho Teixeira ◽  
Ieler Ferreira Ribeiro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Definitive Treatment ◽  
World Population ◽  
The World ◽  
The Face ◽  
The Impact

The COVID-19 pandemic brought about major changes in the lifestyle of the world population. Due to the lack of vaccines or a definitive treatment for disease, governments around the world have adopted social isolation and quarantine as methods to control the spread of the virus. Objective: Thus, the objective of this study was to discuss how social isolation and quarantine periods affected people's mental health and quality of life during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: An integrative literature review was carried out during the COVID-19 pandemic between March and September 2020, establishing the following guiding question: How did social isolation and quarantine affect the mental health and quality of life of the population in the COVID-19 pandemic? Results: The final sample consisted of nineteen (19) articles, two (2) addressed depression during the pandemic period, three (3) presented the pandemic and the relationship with sociodemographic aspects, five (5) analyzed mental health in the pandemic, four (4) reported the impact of COVID-19 on the population's style and quality of life and the last five (5) demonstrated the quality of human relationships and emotional aspects in the face of the pandemic. Conclusion: It was demonstrated that isolation and the quarantine period had a negative impact on the population's quality of life and long-term mental health.

Coping with psychosomatic symptoms: The buffering role of psychological flexibility and impact on quality of life

2016 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 175-187 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chrysanthi Leonidou ◽  
Georgia Panayiotou ◽  
Aspasia Bati ◽  
Maria Karekla
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Community Sample ◽  
Psychological Flexibility ◽  
Avoidant Coping ◽  
Screening Criteria ◽  
Illness Anxiety ◽  
The Impact

Individual differences in avoidant coping were hypothesized to exacerbate quality of life impairment associated with somatization and illness anxiety symptoms; psychological flexibility was expected to moderate this impairment. Individuals from a random community sample ( N = 298; 182 females), who met screening criteria for somatization and illness anxiety, reported lower quality of life and psychological flexibility and greater avoidant coping compared to controls. Psychological flexibility significantly moderated the impact of somatization and illness anxiety on quality of life domains. Findings suggest that decreasing avoidant coping through therapy may be promising in mitigating the negative impact of these symptom categories.

scholarly journals Social Isolation and Associated Factors in Chinese Adults With Epilepsy: A Cross-Sectional Study

2022 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rui Zhong ◽  
Hanyu Zhang ◽  
Qingling Chen ◽  
Xin Guo ◽  
Yujian Han ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Logistic Regression ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Associated Factors ◽  
Multivariate Logistic Regression Analysis ◽  
Final Analysis ◽  
Multivariate Logistic Regression ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Factors Associated

Objective: We aimed to determine the prevalence of social isolation and associated factors among adults with epilepsy in northeast China.Methods: A cohort of consecutive patients with epilepsy (PWE) from the First Hospital of Jilin University (Changchun, China) was recruited. Demographic and clinical data for each patient were collected during a face-to-face interview. Social isolation was measured using the Berkman-Syme Social Network Index (SNI), and the Neurological Disorders Depression Inventory for Epilepsy (NDDI-E) and Quality of Life in Epilepsy Inventory (QOLIE-31) were also administered. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to determine the factors associated with social isolation in PWE.Results: A total of 165 patients were included in the final analysis. The mean SNI score was 2.56 (SD: 1.19), and 35 patients (21.2%) were socially isolated. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, higher depressive symptom levels (OR = 1.15, 95% CI: 1.003–1.318, P = 0.045) and poorer quality of life (OR = 0.967, 95% CI: 0.935–0.999, P = 0.047) emerged as independent factors associated with social isolation in PWE.Conclusion: Social isolation is common and occurs in approximately one-fifth of PWE. Social isolation is significantly associated with depressive symptoms and poor quality of life in PWE. Patients need to be encouraged to actively integrate with others and reduce social isolation, which may help improve their quality of life.

scholarly journals Social Isolation, Illness Anxiety, and Quality of Life in Corona Survivors

2021 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 515-528
Author(s):  
Shiza Shahid ◽  
Amina Shahid ◽  
Izza Mahfooz
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Psychological Health ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
World Health ◽  
Illness Anxiety ◽  
The Relationship

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between social isolation, illness anxiety and quality of life in corona survivors. This paper focuses on moderating role of illness anxiety on the relationship between social isolation and quality of life of COVID-19 survivors who faced this disease in past 6 months. The sample comprised of 110 survivors of COVID-19. Purposive sampling was used to assess the participants with the help of Google forms. Social isolation was measured by using Lubben Social Network Scale (Lubben et al., 2006), quality of life was measured by WHOQOL-BREF (World Health Organization, 1996), and to measure illness anxiety Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (Hamilton, 1959) was used. Correlational analysis revealed that social isolation had positive relationship with illness anxiety. Illness anxiety had negative relationship with physical health, psychological health environment and overall quality of life. Moreover, moderation analysis revealed that illness anxiety significantly moderated the relationship between social isolation and quality of life. This research attempted to explore the social isolation during lock down and illness anxiety corporate in low quality of life in COVID-19 pandemic. This study has variety of clinical implications as this research gave us insight into the role of social isolation and illness anxiety on quality of life especially in this pandemic so it will help psychologists to take measurements accordingly.

scholarly journals RESULTS OF THE TERRITORIAL COMMUNITIES’ SURVEY ON THEIR IDENTIFICATION AND POSITIONING TO IMPROVE THE LIFE QUALITY OF POPULATION

2021 ◽  
pp. 47-58
Author(s):  
I.V. Zablodska ◽  
◽  
S.I. Hrechana ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Planning Process ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Life Quality ◽  
Living Environment ◽  
Reform Process ◽  
Administrative Services ◽  
The Future

The results of the territorial communities’ survey on their identification and positioning to improve the quality of life, which conducted among representatives of territorial communities of Luhansk and Donetsk regions located in the territories controlled by the Ukrainian government, were generalized. Its purpose was to determine the opinion of the respondents regarding the quality of life in the communi ties, their vision of the community uniqueness, as well as an idea of its image and positioning. Information collected on identifiers and signs of the communities’ attractiveness, the attitude of community residents to changes in the quality of life in the reform process, the desired directions for the future communities’ development, a vision of their positioning, the role of community branding and advertising. It was determined that the majority of the interviewed respondents positively assess the living environment of their communities, and not, however, associating changes for the better with decentralization. The subjective residents’ vision of their own community formed by the following main identifiers, such as the availability of administrative services, the condition of highways and sidewalks, infrastructure for recreation and leisure. The community attractiveness, according to the respondents, determined by the availability and level of administrative services, comfort of living and convenient transport location. The main obstacles for improving the quality of life, as well as the primary resources for its impro vement, are considered by the majority of respondents to be ineffective local authorities, as well as lack of initiative and activity of residents. More than 70% of respondents identified a negative impact on the development of the proximity of their community to the zone of armed conflict. The tendency of the respondents to focus more on problems than on the achievements of communities ascertained. In addition, trend of greater accentuation of respondents on the issues, as well as a certain indifference about the future of their community, in the process of determining the positioning of their own community and the vision of its image manifested most clearly in the number of uncertain options. It substantiates that the results obtained can be extrapolated to all communities in the region, and are the basis for optimizing the strategic planning process for the development of territorial communities, which will contribute to improving the life quality of population.

scholarly journals Chronic pain after breast surgery: incidence, associated factors and impact on quality of life, an observational prospective study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gianluca Villa ◽  
Raffaele Mandarano ◽  
Caterina Scirè Calabrisotto ◽  
Valeria Rizzelli ◽  
Martina Del Duca ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Risk Factors ◽  
Chronic Pain ◽  
Logistic Regression ◽  
Regression Analysis ◽  
Logistic Regression Analysis ◽  
Breast Surgery ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Axillary Surgery

Abstract Background. Chronic pain after breast surgery (CPBS) has a disabling impact on postoperative health status. Mainly because of the lack of a clear definition, inconsistency does exist in the literature concerning both the actual incidence and the risk factors associated to CPBS. The aim of this prospective, observational study is to describe the incidence of and risk factors for CPBS, according to the definition provided by the IASP taskforce. The impact of CPBS on patients’ function and quality of life is also described. Methods. Women aged 18+ undergoing oncological or reconstructive breast surgery from Jan until Apr 2018 at the Breast Unit of Careggi Hospital (Florence, Italy) were prospectively observed. Postoperative pain was measured at 0hrs, 3hrs, 6hrs, 12hrs, 24hrs, 48hrs, and 3 months (CPBS) after surgery. Preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative factors were compared in CPBS and No-CPBS groups through multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results. Among the 307 patients considered in this study, the incidence of CPBS was 28% [95%CI 23.1%-33.4%]. Results from the logistic regression analysis suggest that axillary surgery (OR [95%CI], 2.99 [1.13-7.87], p=0.03), preoperative use of pain medications (OR [95%CI], 2.04 [1.20-3.46], p=0.01), and higher dynamic NRS values at 6 hours postoperatively (OR [95%CI], 1.28 [1.05-1.55], p=0.01) were all independent predictors for CPBS. Conclusions. Chronic pain after breast surgery is a frequent complication. In our cohort, long-term use of analgesics for pre-existing chronic pain, axillary surgery, and higher dynamic NRS values at 6 hours postoperatively were all factors associated with increased risk of developing CPBS. The possibility to early detect persistent pain, particularly in those patients at high risk for CPBS, might help physicians to more effectively prevent pain chronicisation.Trial registration: clinicalTrials.gov registration NCT04309929

scholarly journals Quality of life of elderly people who care for other elderly people with neurological diseases

2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 428-438 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julimar Fernandes de Oliveira ◽  
Lais Lopes Delfino ◽  
Samila Sathler Taveres Batistoni ◽  
Anita Liberalesso Neri ◽  
Meire Cachioni
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Logistic Regression ◽  
Regression Analysis ◽  
Elderly People ◽  
Logistic Regression Analysis ◽  
Neurological Diseases ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Care Recipient ◽  
Categorical Variables

Abstract Objective: to investigate the relationships between the perceived quality of life of elderly people who care for other elderly people with neurological diseases (dementia and strokes) and the gender, age and caregiver burden, diagnosis, functional dependence, and cognitive status of the care recipient. Method: 75 caregivers aged over 60 years were interviewed using the Quality of Life Scale (CASP-19) and Zarit Burden Interview. The levels of physical vulnerability of the elderly were identified through the Lawton and Brody questionnaires and the Katz scale and the cognitive assessment of elderly care recipients was assessed with the Clinical Dementia Rating. The data were analyzed by chi-squared test (for comparison of categorical variables), Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis U tests (for comparison of continuous variables). To study the associations between variables, univariate logistic regression analysis was performed, followed by multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results: the age, gender of the caregiver, type of neurological condition, and physical and cognitive functioning of the care recipient did not statistically influence the quality of life of the caregiver. Elderly caregivers with higher levels of burden (≥29) were 11.4 times more likely to have a worse quality of life score (CI: 3.16-36.77; p <0.001). Conclusion: the quality of life of the elderly caregiver is negatively influenced by the burden involved in caring for another elderly person. Identifying the negative emotional aspects of caregivers that negatively affect their quality of life should be considered a target for intervention by health teams.

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