Living alone, loneliness, and depressive symptoms among Indonesian older women

In modern Asian societies, there has been a shift in the living arrangements of older adults away from living with others. Knowing the health characteristics of individuals living alone can help identify high-risk groups. This cross-sectional study aimed to describe characteristics of the Vietnamese older adults and to investigate the association between living alone and their reported health outcomes by utilizing survey data of individuals aged ≥60 years in Vietnam in 2018. The community survey included questions about sociodemographic factors, living arrangement, and self-reported physical functional status. Multivariate logistic regression was used to examine whether or not living alone was a predictor of health outcomes. Of 725 study participants, 8.9% lived alone. These participants were more likely to be female, aged 70–79 years, living in rural areas, and currently single or previously married. After adjusting for covariates, older adults who were living alone were more likely to have arthritis (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.95, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.10–3.45), a history of falling (AOR = 2.44, 95% CI: 1.02–5.82), visual difficulties (AOR = 1.89, 95% CI: 1.04–3.41), feelings of loneliness (AOR = 1.95, 95% CI: 1.10–3.47), and high fear of falling (AOR = 1.88, 95% CI: 1.02–3.46). Older adults living alone in Vietnam were at greater risk of negative health consequences than those living with others. Screening and providing adequate social support for this specific population is important in preventing the adverse effects of solitary living among these older adults.

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 51%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Greater Risk of Negative Health Outcomes of Older Adults Living Alone in Vietnam: A Community Survey

Nakamura

Seino

et al. 2021

“…In this situation, social isolation of older people is becoming a serious issue in Japan, especially among women [19]. Among older women, isolation is an important factor that leads to depression [20]. Positive emotions can be considered an effective way for older people to deal with this problem.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Predictors and Importance of Social Aspects in Ikigai among Older Women

Seko

Hirano

2021

Ikigai is a unique Japanese concept that encompasses not only joy and happiness, but also the purpose and meaning of life. The purpose of this study was to explore the factors that contribute to Ikigai, an important concept in the health of older women, and to clarify the relationship between Ikigai and the enhancement of the social aspects of their health. The participants in this longitudinal study, conducted between October 2017 and February 2020, were physically healthy older women aged 65 years and above (N = 132). Physical function and social activity were used as predictors of Ikigai. In addition, willingness for new interactions was used to examine the social aspects of health. A causal model was created from these factors, and path analysis was performed. The results demonstrated that participating in numerous interpersonal activities was predictive of increased Ikigai, but physical function was not. In addition, Ikigai was found to affect the willingness for new interactions. Further, Ikigai could be related to the willingness for new interactions. To enhance the social aspects of older women’s health, it is necessary to focus on Ikigai.

“…Although changes in hormones among women caused by puberty and menopause along with aging negatively affect sleep quality [ 40 ], this study found that living arrangements had an additional effect on sleep quality in older women. One of the reasons for the result that living alone had particularly affected the sleep quality of women, but not that of men, might be that psychosocial factors such as loneliness are frequently caused by living alone [ 41 ]. Despite difficulty in ascertaining this causality, a previous study also found that, among general adults, in men sleep quality is more affected by lifestyle factors such as socio-demographic factors, whereas psychosocial factors greatly affect sleep quality among women [ 42 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Relationship between Living Arrangements and Sleep Quality in Older Adults: Gender Differences

Chu

Lee

2022

(1) Background: This study examined the effects of living arrangements on the quality of sleep among older adults and analyzed related gender differences; (2) Methods: A total of 4756 older adults in Seoul were included. After adjusting for socio-demographic factors, older adults living alone showed a poorer sleep quality compared with those living with others; (3) Results: When we analyzed the effects of living arrangements on sleep quality by gender, there was no difference in the risk of poor sleep quality between male older adults living alone and those living with others (OR = 1.089, 95% CI = 0.729–1.628), whereas the risk of poor sleep quality was higher for female older adults living alone than those living with others (OR = 1.359, 95% CI = 1.088–1.696); (4) Conclusions: In this study, we have confirmed that older women living alone had poor sleep quality compared to older men. Hence, gender-based approaches will be helpful when providing social support resources to older adults living alone.