Context of walking and loneliness among community-dwelling older adults: a cross-sectional study

BMC Geriatrics

Research

Ryuichi Sawa¹  Haruhi Encho²  Toshihiro Akisue²  Sachiko Mizuta²  Junya Nakamura³  Kazuaki Uchida⁴  Rei Ono⁵ 

[1] Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Health Science, Juntendo University, Tokyo, Japan;Department of Rehabilitation Science, Kobe University Graduate School of Health Sciences, Hyogo, Japan;Department of Rehabilitation Science, Kobe University Graduate School of Health Sciences, Hyogo, Japan;Department of Dentistry and Oral Surgery, National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology, Aichi, Japan;Department of Rehabilitation Science, Kobe University Graduate School of Health Sciences, Hyogo, Japan;Department of Prevention and Care Science, Research Institute, National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology, Aichi, Japan;National Institute of Health and Nutrition, Health and Nutrition, National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, KENTO Innovation Park NK Bldg., 3-17, Senriokashinmachi, 566-0002, Settu, Osaka, Japan;

关键词: Loneliness;    Walking;    Mental health;    Physical activity;    Older adults;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12877-023-04043-5

 received in 2023-03-16, accepted in 2023-05-16,  发布年份 2023

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundOlder adults are more likely to experience loneliness than younger people. Moreover, greater loneliness in older adults is associated with poor mental health and increased risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality. Physical activity is an effective intervention for reducing loneliness among older adults. Among physical activities, walking is suitable for older adults, because it is easy and safe to incorporate into daily life. We hypothesized that the association between walking and loneliness depends on the presence of others and the number of people present. The aim of this study is to investigate the association between the context of walking (the number of walkers) and loneliness among community-dwelling older adults.MethodsThis cross-sectional study included 173 community-dwelling older adults aged 65 or older. Context of walking was classified as non-walking, walking alone (days of walking alone > days of walking with someone), and walking with someone (days of walking alone ≤ days of walking with someone). Loneliness was measured using the Japanese version of the University of California Los Angeles Loneliness Scale. A linear regression model was used to investigate the relationship between context of walking and loneliness, adjusted for age, sex, living situation, social participation, and physical activity excluding walking.ResultsData from 171 community-dwelling older adults (mean age = 78.0 years, 59.6% women) were analyzed. After adjustment, walking with someone was associated with lower loneliness than non-walking (adjusted β: -0.51, 95% confidence interval: -1.00, -0.01).ConclusionsThe study’s findings suggest that walking with a companion may effectively prevent or reduce loneliness among older adults.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© The Author(s) 2023

【 图 表 】

41116_2023_36_Article_IEq307.gif