TY - JOUR
T1 - Long-term conditions in older people are linked with loneliness, but a sense of coherence buffers the adverse effects on quality of life: A cross-sectional study
AU - van Woerden, Hugo C
AU - Angus, Neil J
AU - Kiparoglou, Vasiliki
AU - Atherton, Iain Maitland
AU - Leung, Janni
N1 - © 2021 van Woerden et al.
PY - 2021/9/7
Y1 - 2021/9/7
N2 - Background: The impact of disability, long-term conditions, rurality, living alone, and
being a carer on health has some evidence base, but the extent to which a strong sense of
coherence (SoC), a factor hypothesised to promote wellbeing, may moderate these associations is unknown. A model of physical, environmental and social factors on quality of life
was tested, with particular emphasis on whether a strong SoC buffered (mitigated) these
determinants of quality of life.
Material and Methods: A cross-sectional postal survey was undertaken of a random
sample of 1471 respondents aged over 65 years, across a population of rural individuals.
Physical, environmental, and psychological variables were assessed against quality of life
using ANOVA and a generalised linear model including the interaction effects of SoC.
Results: ANOVA demonstrated that age, gender, long-term conditions or disability (LTCD), living alone, >20 hours unpaid care for others per week, SoC, and loneliness, were
associated with lower quality of life (p<0.01). There were strong correlations (p>0.01),
between age and LTC-D, living alone, and poor SoC. Living alone was correlated with
emotional and social loneliness; but those with higher SoC were less likely to experience
loneliness. In an adjusted generalised linear model, significant associations with a lower
quality of life were observed from: LTC-D, emotional loneliness and social loneliness (B=
−0.44, −0.30, and −0.39, respectively, all p<0.001). The only interaction with SoC that was
statistically significant (at p<0.05) was LTC-D. A stronger sense of coherence buffered the
negative effects of long-term condition/disability on quality of life.
Discussion: The physical, environmental and social factors examined, identified LTC-D and
loneliness to be the strongest factors associated with poor quality of life.
Conclusion: SoC somewhat buffered the adverse effect of LTC-D on quality of life, but did
not do so for loneliness.
Keywords: loneliness, social loneliness, disability, rurality, quality of life
AB - Background: The impact of disability, long-term conditions, rurality, living alone, and
being a carer on health has some evidence base, but the extent to which a strong sense of
coherence (SoC), a factor hypothesised to promote wellbeing, may moderate these associations is unknown. A model of physical, environmental and social factors on quality of life
was tested, with particular emphasis on whether a strong SoC buffered (mitigated) these
determinants of quality of life.
Material and Methods: A cross-sectional postal survey was undertaken of a random
sample of 1471 respondents aged over 65 years, across a population of rural individuals.
Physical, environmental, and psychological variables were assessed against quality of life
using ANOVA and a generalised linear model including the interaction effects of SoC.
Results: ANOVA demonstrated that age, gender, long-term conditions or disability (LTCD), living alone, >20 hours unpaid care for others per week, SoC, and loneliness, were
associated with lower quality of life (p<0.01). There were strong correlations (p>0.01),
between age and LTC-D, living alone, and poor SoC. Living alone was correlated with
emotional and social loneliness; but those with higher SoC were less likely to experience
loneliness. In an adjusted generalised linear model, significant associations with a lower
quality of life were observed from: LTC-D, emotional loneliness and social loneliness (B=
−0.44, −0.30, and −0.39, respectively, all p<0.001). The only interaction with SoC that was
statistically significant (at p<0.05) was LTC-D. A stronger sense of coherence buffered the
negative effects of long-term condition/disability on quality of life.
Discussion: The physical, environmental and social factors examined, identified LTC-D and
loneliness to be the strongest factors associated with poor quality of life.
Conclusion: SoC somewhat buffered the adverse effect of LTC-D on quality of life, but did
not do so for loneliness.
Keywords: loneliness, social loneliness, disability, rurality, quality of life
KW - loneliness
KW - social loneliness
KW - disability
KW - rurality
KW - quality of life
UR - https://www.researchgate.net/publication/354396862_Long-Term_Conditions_in_Older_People_are_Linked_with_Loneliness_but_a_Sense_of_Coherence_Buffers_the_Adverse_Effects_on_Quality_of_Life_A_Cross-Sectional_Study
UR - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34526773/
U2 - 10.2147/JMDH.S317393
DO - 10.2147/JMDH.S317393
M3 - Article
SN - 1178-2390
VL - 14
SP - 2467
EP - 2475
JO - Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare
JF - Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare
ER -