The Prevalence of Social Isolation and Loneliness Among Older Adults Residing in Rural Utah Communities

Abstract

An estimated 24% of community-dwelling older adults experience social isolation defined as infrequent social contact or having few social relationships, and 35% of adults aged >45 report being lonely, a subjective feeling of isolation or lack of social contact. Social isolation and loneliness are associated with poor physical and mental health. The purpose of our study was to assess the prevalence of social isolation and loneliness among older adults receiving home health services in rural Utah communities. We conducted a cross-sectional study with 41 persons at the onset of enrollment in home care services in 2 rural counties in Utah. We assessed loneliness, social support and quality of life using validated surveys. We conducted descriptive statistics to describe the participants demographics and Pearson’s Correlation Coefficients to assess a relationship between loneliness and quality of life and satisfaction with health. Participants were predominately older, with an average age of 75.6 years (range 59–93 years.) The majority of participants were female 27 (65.8%) and identified as White 36 (87.8%). Overall, the average loneliness score was 1.51 (0.67 SD) indicating the prevalence of loneliness was low among our study population. We found statistically significant correlation among participants who rated their loneliness higher with lower rates of satisfaction with their health and overall quality of life. Future research is needed with larger sample sizes to validate our findings which may inform policy changes including standardizing assessment of social isolation and loneliness and offering person-centered interventions to prevent the physical and psychological consequences of social isolation.