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Loneliness and associated factors among middle-aged and older adults: cross-sectional and longitudinal survey results from the HAALSI cohort in South Africa.
- Source :
- Aging & Mental Health; Aug2024, Vol. 28 Issue 8, p1179-1187, 9p
- Publication Year :
- 2024
-
Abstract
- 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. 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. 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. One in five aging adults had acute or chronic loneliness. Several social, mental, and physical health factors were identified as associated with loneliness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Subjects :
- CROSS-sectional method
LIFE
SELF-evaluation
HEALTH status indicators
MENTAL health
HEALTH attitudes
LEANNESS
SOCIAL factors
LONELINESS
DISEASE prevalence
FUNCTIONAL status
HIV infections
CHRONIC diseases
LONGITUDINAL method
SURVEYS
ATTITUDE (Psychology)
RURAL conditions
RESEARCH
COGNITION disorders
COMPARATIVE studies
COVID-19 pandemic
DISEASE incidence
SOCIAL participation
MENTAL depression
SLEEP disorders
OBESITY
PSYCHOSOCIAL factors
MIDDLE age
OLD age
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 13607863
- Volume :
- 28
- Issue :
- 8
- Database :
- Complementary Index
- Journal :
- Aging & Mental Health
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 178440336
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2024.2345777