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Is loneliness associated with increased health and social care utilisation in the oldest old? Findings from a population-based longitudinal study.

Accepted version
Peer-reviewed

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Authors

Zhao, Emily 
Khaw, Kay-Tee 

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: The present study aimed to examine the impact of loneliness on health and social care service use in the oldest old over a 7-year follow-up. DESIGN: Prospective study. SETTING: UK population-based cohort. PARTICIPANTS: 713 people aged 80 years or older were interviewed at wave 3 of the Cambridge City over-75s Cohort Study. Of these, 665 provided data on loneliness. During 7 years' follow-up, 480 participants left the study, of which 389 due to death. 162 still in the study answered the loneliness question. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Use of health and social care services, assessed at each wave from wave 3 to wave 5. RESULTS: At wave 3, of 665 participants who had data on loneliness, about 60% did not feel lonely, 16% felt slightly lonely and 25% felt lonely. Being slightly lonely at wave 3 was associated with a shorter time since last seeing a general practitioner (β=-0.5, 95% CI: -0.8 to -0.2); when examining the association between time-varying loneliness and health and social care usage, being lonely was associated with three times greater likelihood of having contact with community nurses and using meals on wheels services (community nurse contact: incidence rate ratio (IRR)=3.4, 95% CI: 1.4 to 8.7; meals on wheels service use: IRR=2.5, 95% CI: 1.1 to 5.6). No associations between loneliness and other health and social care services use were found. CONCLUSION: Loneliness was a significant risk factor for certain types of health and social care utilisations, independently of participants' health conditions, in the oldest old. Study findings have several implications, including the need for awareness-raising and prevention of loneliness to be priorities for public health policy and practice.

Description

Keywords

health service, loneliness, social care, the oldest old, Age Factors, Aged, 80 and over, Female, Humans, Interviews as Topic, Loneliness, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Patient Acceptance of Health Care, Risk Factors, Sex Factors, Social Welfare, United Kingdom

Journal Title

BMJ Open

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

2044-6055
2044-6055

Volume Title

9

Publisher

BMJ

Rights

All rights reserved
Sponsorship
Medical Research Council (G0401527)
Medical Research Council (MR/N003284/1)
Medical Research Council (G1000143)