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Background: Social isolation and loneliness are public health problems and are related to poor physical and mental health in older persons, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. We investigated the influences of social isolation and loneliness on mood, cognition and sleep quality in older persons., Methods: This study evaluated 82 older persons, with a median age of 69.16 years (range: 60.00-85.97). The older persons were assessed before and during the period of the COVID-19 pandemic. Cognition was assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, symptoms of depression using the Beck Depression Inventory II, symptoms of anxiety using the Beck Anxiety Inventory, quality of sleep by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, daytime sleepiness by the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, isolation by the Duke Social Support Index and three-item UCLA Loneliness Scale., Results: Our results revealed that loneliness is related to worsening anxiety symptoms (P = 0.008), and sleep quality (P = 0.011). Isolation is related to worsening sleep quality (P = 0.011). On the other hand, participants who did not isolate themselves during the pandemic felt more anxious (P = 0.021). In addition, older persons who were not isolated (P = 0.035) and had no loneliness (P = 0.007), have higher cognitive performance over time., Conclusion: Loneliness is related to worsening symptoms of anxiety and sleep quality. Our results showed that social isolation is related to worsening sleep quality. On the other hand, high social support during the COVID-19 pandemic increased anxiety. Furthermore, better cognitive performance is related to non-isolated and non-lonely participants., (© 2024 Japanese Psychogeriatric Society.)

Resilience is the human capacity to adapt to adverse life situations; it can be enhanced by the action of various protective factors and one of the most important of these is social support. The objective of this study was to identify associations between resilience and sociodemographic variables (gender, age, income, marital status, housing arrangements and religion), as well as correlations between resilience and social support in a sample of 86 urban elderly people. A sociodemographic questionnaire, the Resilience Scale and the Social Support Scale were used. The mean age was 75.7 years (SD = 5.35), with a predominance of women (72.1%, n = 62). A high level of resilience (M = 134.37, SD = 16.6) and a moderate level of social support (M = 17.36, SD = 2.77) were observed in the elderly people. There was only a significant association between resilience and religion (χ2 = 0.30; p = 0.027). Only a weak and positive correlation was observed between the factor of independence and determination on the Resilience Scale with social support (p = 0.005). Linear regression analysis revealed that social support was not a predictive variable for the capacity of resilience in the researched group. It is necessary to create new research instruments that permit a more precise study of the protective effects of social support regarding the capacity for resilience in the elderly.

The scope of this study was to determine the prevalence of anemia and the correlation between the concentration of hemoglobin and cognitive factors in an elderly population group resident in Campina Grande, Paraiba, Brazil. It was a cross-sectional study with individuals aged 60 or older. Men with hemoglobin levels <13 g / dL and women with levels <12 g / dL were considered anemic. Sociodemographic, cognitive condition and nutritional status variables were analyzed. Statistical analysis was performed by means of simple and multiple linear regression. Among the 360 elderly patients evaluated (67.2% women), the prevalence of anemia was 12.5%. The average concentration of hemoglobin found was 13.5 g / dL and was correlated to sex variables (β = -0.44, 95% CI: -1.35, -0.85), age (β = -0.14 ; 95% CI: -0.03, -0.01), nutritional status (β = 0.16; 95% CI: 0.01, 0.06), memory impairment (β = 0.12; 95% CI: - 0.06, -0.01), and dementia (β = -0.13, 95% CI: -0.06, -0.01). Routine blood testing among the elderly makes it possible to detect and treat anemia at an early stage. Actions geared towards the elderly who show a cognitive decline should be developed in the Basic Family Health Units in order to improve the quality of life of this population.