Social isolation, physical inactivity and inadequate diet among European middle-aged and older adults

Matos, Alice Delerue; Barbosa, Fátima; Cunha, C; Voss, Gina; Correia, Filipa

doi:10.1186/s12889-021-10956-w

Cited by 39 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 48 publications

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“…Reduced social interaction has been observed in rodents fed a Western-style diet [ 62 , 63 ] and in the offspring of rodents [ 64 , 65 , 66 ] and female Japanese macaques [ 40 ] that consumed a Western-style diet during gestation. In human observational studies of self-reported diet and social characteristics, social isolation is associated with Western diet consumption [ 41 , 67 ], whereas adherence to a Mediterranean diet is correlated with decreased isolation [ 68 ]. The findings reported here are novel in their observations, including the rapidity with which behavior changed in response to dietary changes; the longitudinal persistence of behavior changes over two years (a timespan roughly equivalent to seven human years); the observation that the Mediterranean diet drove most of the differences in behavior and the randomized trial design that allows for causal inferences.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mediterranean Diet Reduces Social Isolation and Anxiety in Adult Female Nonhuman Primates

Johnson

Frye

et al. 2022

Nutrients

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Dietary composition is associated with the differential prevalence of psychiatric disorders; the Western diet confers increased risk, while the Mediterranean diet appears to reduce risk. In nonhuman primates, anxiety-like behaviors and social isolation have been linked to both Western diet consumption and increased inflammatory disease risk, and recent evidence suggests that diet composition may affect immune system function in part through its effects on behavior. This is particularly important in the context of the global COVID-19 pandemic in which social isolation has been associated with disease. Here, we examined the effects of Western- and Mediterranean-like diets on social behavior in a randomized, 34-month preclinical trial in middle-aged female cynomolgus macaques (Macaca fascicularis). Diet induced rapid and persistent changes in a suite of behaviors. After just three months of experimental diet consumption, a composite measure of diet-altered behavior (DAB) significantly differed between the two diets (p = 0.014) and remained different throughout the 24-month experimental observation period (p = 2.2 × 10−8). Monkeys fed the Western diet spent more time alone (FDR = 4.4 × 10−5) and displayed more anxiety behavior (FDR = 0.048), whereas monkeys fed the Mediterranean diet spent more time resting (FDR = 0.0013), attentive (FDR = 0.017), and in body contact with groupmates (FDR = 4.1 × 10−8). These differences were largely due to changes in behavior of animals fed the Mediterranean diet, while Western-diet-fed-animals exhibited similar behaviors compared to the eight-month baseline period, during which all monkeys consumed a common laboratory diet. These observations provide experimental support in a nonhuman primate model, demonstrating a potential therapeutic benefit of the Mediterranean diet consumption to reduce social isolation and anxiety and thus mitigate social isolation-associated disorders that often accompany illness and disability.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mediterranean Diet Reduces Social Isolation and Anxiety in Adult Female Nonhuman Primates

Johnson

Frye

et al. 2022

Nutrients

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“…Through a Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), a latent continuous physical health measure was constructed (Delerue Matos et al., 2021 ; Di Gessa et al., 2016 ; Ploubidis & Grundy, 2011 ). This physical health measure includes one objective health indicator, plus six subjective ones.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This physical health measure includes one objective health indicator, plus six subjective ones. Maximum grip strength using one or both hands is the objective health indicator used, while self‐perceived health (poor (1), fair (2), good (3), very good (4) or excellent (5)); having a long‐term illness; reporting limited activities because of health (1 ‐ severely limited, 2 ‐ limited, but not severely; and 3 ‐ not limited); having had a heart attack; having had a stroke; and having had chronic lung disease are the subjective ones (Delerue Matos et al., 2021 ). Our F‐score varies from −1.89 to 1.32, meaning that higher scores indicate better physical health.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The importance of social participation for life satisfaction among spouse caregivers aged 65 and over

Barbosa

Matos

Voss

et al. 2022

Health Social Care Comm

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Spouse caregivers report lower levels of life satisfaction. However, social participation generates life satisfaction. The main goal of this study is to analyse the contribution of social participation to the life satisfaction of European and Israeli spouse caregivers aged 65 plus. The study uses cross-sectional data from 17 European countries, plus Israel, which are part of wave 6 of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). The sample was limited to individuals aged 65+, who were classified as non-caregivers (N = 25,313) or spouse caregivers (N = 1977). The mean scores of life satisfaction by country and caregiver status were calculated and tests for a twogroup comparison and multilevel logistic regressions were performed. The spouse caregiver group reported lower levels of satisfaction with life. Tests for a two-group comparison show that the group of spouse caregivers reports fewer social activities than the non-caregivers group. Moreover, multilevel linear regressions allowed us to conclude that providing spousal care at older ages (65+) is related to lower life satisfaction but that providing spousal care and reporting having social participation is related to higher life satisfaction than in the group of spouse caregivers who are not involved in social activities, and non-caregivers.Social participation is a key issue in the life satisfaction of spouse caregivers aged 65 years and older. The social participation of spouse caregivers should be a concern to relatives, communities, social and health professionals, as well as public policymakers.

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“…Another public health concern impacting mental well-being is isolation (Delerue Matos et al, 2021). Like Yardley and Rusu’s (2018) findings, engaging with Staging Time assisted in encouraging prisoners and incarcerated audience members to join other activities.…”

Section: Benefits To Health and Well-beingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Performing well: Male prisoner experiences of drama, dance, singing and puppetry in England

2022

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This paper outlines art form impacts used within Staging Time at an adult male sex offender prison in England by drawing on the voices of prisoners (aged 21–75 years), including those with undiagnosed autistic traits. We qualitatively investigate prisoner experiences from drama (n = 11), dance (n = 12), puppetry (n = 7) and singing (n = 15) projects using a theory of change approach. Based on a themed analysis of self-report data from 4 world cafés and 44 follow-up questionnaires, we conclude arts projects positively contribute to health and well-being, forming healthy relationships and prison culture. By applying a desistance theory lens, we argue arts projects provide building blocks towards crime abstinence. Whilst all arts projects improved prisoner well-being, dance had a greater propensity for increasing physical fitness. With a focus on dance impacts, our research widened to stakeholder and practitioner interviews (n = 4), alongside analysis of secondary data from dance performance audience feedback sheets (n = 48) collected by Staging Time. Audience members included prison staff, prisoners, prisoner family members and close friends and a small group of invited stakeholders. Arts projects have wider impacts on staff, other prisoners and family members.

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Social isolation, physical inactivity and inadequate diet among European middle-aged and older adults

Cited by 39 publications

References 48 publications

Mediterranean Diet Reduces Social Isolation and Anxiety in Adult Female Nonhuman Primates

Mediterranean Diet Reduces Social Isolation and Anxiety in Adult Female Nonhuman Primates

The importance of social participation for life satisfaction among spouse caregivers aged 65 and over

Performing well: Male prisoner experiences of drama, dance, singing and puppetry in England

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