Abstract
Objectives: Loneliness and social isolation are two important health outcomes among older adults. Current assessment of these outcomes relies on self-report which is susceptible to bias. This paper reports on the relationship between loneliness and objective measures of isolation using a phone monitoring device. Method: Phone monitors were installed in the homes of 26 independent elderly individuals from the ORCATECH Life Laboratory cohort (age 86 ± 4.5, 88% female) and used to monitor the daily phone usage for an average of 174 days. Loneliness was assessed using the 20-item University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Loneliness scale. A mixed effects negative binomial regression was used to model the relationship between loneliness and social isolation, as assessed using the total number of calls, controlling for cognitive function, pain, age, gender, and weekday. A secondary analysis examined the differential effect of loneliness on incoming and outgoing calls. Results: The average UCLA Loneliness score was 35.3 ± 7.6, and the median daily number of calls was 4. Loneliness was negatively associated with telephone use (IRR = 0.99, p <0.05). Daily phone use was also associated with gender (IRR = 2.03, p <0.001) and cognitive status (IRR = 1.51, p <0.001). The secondary analysis revealed that loneliness was significantly related to incoming (IRR = 0.98, p <0.01) but not outgoing calls. Conclusions: These results demonstrate the close relationship between loneliness and social isolation, showing that phone behaviour is associated with emotional state and cognitive function. Because phone behaviour can be monitored unobtrusively, it may be possible to sense loneliness levels in older adults using objective assessments of key aspects of behaviour.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Journal | Aging and Mental Health |
| DOIs | |
| State | Accepted/In press - Jun 1 2015 |
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Keywords
- cognitive function
- loneliness
- older adults
- telephone
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Geriatrics and Gerontology
- Gerontology
- Phychiatric Mental Health
- Psychiatry and Mental health
Cite this
Phone behaviour and its relationship to loneliness in older adults. / Petersen, Johanna; Thielke, Stephen; Austin, Daniel; Kaye, Jeffrey.
In: Aging and Mental Health, 01.06.2015.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Phone behaviour and its relationship to loneliness in older adults
AU - Petersen, Johanna
AU - Thielke, Stephen
AU - Austin, Daniel
AU - Kaye, Jeffrey
PY - 2015/6/1
Y1 - 2015/6/1
N2 - Objectives: Loneliness and social isolation are two important health outcomes among older adults. Current assessment of these outcomes relies on self-report which is susceptible to bias. This paper reports on the relationship between loneliness and objective measures of isolation using a phone monitoring device. Method: Phone monitors were installed in the homes of 26 independent elderly individuals from the ORCATECH Life Laboratory cohort (age 86 ± 4.5, 88% female) and used to monitor the daily phone usage for an average of 174 days. Loneliness was assessed using the 20-item University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Loneliness scale. A mixed effects negative binomial regression was used to model the relationship between loneliness and social isolation, as assessed using the total number of calls, controlling for cognitive function, pain, age, gender, and weekday. A secondary analysis examined the differential effect of loneliness on incoming and outgoing calls. Results: The average UCLA Loneliness score was 35.3 ± 7.6, and the median daily number of calls was 4. Loneliness was negatively associated with telephone use (IRR = 0.99, p <0.05). Daily phone use was also associated with gender (IRR = 2.03, p <0.001) and cognitive status (IRR = 1.51, p <0.001). The secondary analysis revealed that loneliness was significantly related to incoming (IRR = 0.98, p <0.01) but not outgoing calls. Conclusions: These results demonstrate the close relationship between loneliness and social isolation, showing that phone behaviour is associated with emotional state and cognitive function. Because phone behaviour can be monitored unobtrusively, it may be possible to sense loneliness levels in older adults using objective assessments of key aspects of behaviour.
AB - Objectives: Loneliness and social isolation are two important health outcomes among older adults. Current assessment of these outcomes relies on self-report which is susceptible to bias. This paper reports on the relationship between loneliness and objective measures of isolation using a phone monitoring device. Method: Phone monitors were installed in the homes of 26 independent elderly individuals from the ORCATECH Life Laboratory cohort (age 86 ± 4.5, 88% female) and used to monitor the daily phone usage for an average of 174 days. Loneliness was assessed using the 20-item University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Loneliness scale. A mixed effects negative binomial regression was used to model the relationship between loneliness and social isolation, as assessed using the total number of calls, controlling for cognitive function, pain, age, gender, and weekday. A secondary analysis examined the differential effect of loneliness on incoming and outgoing calls. Results: The average UCLA Loneliness score was 35.3 ± 7.6, and the median daily number of calls was 4. Loneliness was negatively associated with telephone use (IRR = 0.99, p <0.05). Daily phone use was also associated with gender (IRR = 2.03, p <0.001) and cognitive status (IRR = 1.51, p <0.001). The secondary analysis revealed that loneliness was significantly related to incoming (IRR = 0.98, p <0.01) but not outgoing calls. Conclusions: These results demonstrate the close relationship between loneliness and social isolation, showing that phone behaviour is associated with emotional state and cognitive function. Because phone behaviour can be monitored unobtrusively, it may be possible to sense loneliness levels in older adults using objective assessments of key aspects of behaviour.
KW - cognitive function
KW - loneliness
KW - older adults
KW - telephone
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84936970951&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84936970951&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/13607863.2015.1060947
DO - 10.1080/13607863.2015.1060947
M3 - Article
C2 - 26133745
AN - SCOPUS:84936970951
JO - Aging and Mental Health
JF - Aging and Mental Health
SN - 1360-7863
ER -