Measuring social isolation among older adults using multiple indicators from the NSHAP study

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Sociology
• Public Health

Background:

• Older adults experience varying degrees of social connectedness and isolation.
• Existing measures may not fully capture the multifaceted nature of social isolation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate scales for social disconnectedness and perceived isolation using National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP) data.
• To examine the distribution of these social isolation aspects among older adults.

Main Methods:

• Utilized 17 indicators from NSHAP data to create two scales: social disconnectedness and perceived isolation.
• Assessed scale reliability using Cronbach's alpha and item-total correlations.
• Employed confirmatory factor analysis and subgroup comparisons to validate and analyze scale distributions.

Main Results:

• Two reliable scales were developed, each with a two-factor structure: social disconnectedness (restricted social network, social inactivity) and perceived isolation (lack of support, loneliness).
• Social disconnectedness did not vary by age group, but perceived isolation increased with age.
• Both social disconnectedness and perceived isolation were higher in individuals with poorer health.

Conclusions:

• The developed scales offer a parsimonious way to quantify social disconnectedness and perceived isolation, integrating multiple indicators.
• These scales can be valuable in multivariate analyses predicting health outcomes in older populations.
• Findings highlight the differential impact of age and health on various dimensions of social isolation.