Prevalence of social alienation in community-dwelling older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Social Alienation (SA) is a global public health problem associated with chronic diseases. The reported prevalence of SA among community-dwelling older adults varied widely across different studies.

To review the pooled prevalence of SA among community-dwelling older adults globally and provide evidence-based support for policymakers and health experts.

A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

PubMed, Web of Science, Medline, EMBASE, EBSCO and the Cochrane Library were searched independently for relevant articles from inception to Oct 25, 2024 (published in English), and the literature screening process were performed between July 4, 2024 and Oct 25,2024. Studies on the prevalence of SA in community-dwelling older adults (age ≥ 60 years) were included in this analysis. The quality of studies included in the review was evaluated using the NOS and AHRQ scale for cohort and cross-section studies, respectively. Pooled effects of the prevalence of SA was calculated using random effect models. Two reviewers independently screened the literature, extracted the data and evaluated the quality of the included literature. If there was any disagreement, a third reviewer was necessary to settle the issue. Egger's Test was evaluated to address the publication bias. Heterogeneity was assessed using sensitivity analysis, subgroup analysis, and meta-regression. All statistical analyses were conducted using the Stata (version 17.0).

A total of 24 studies with 64, 970 individuals were included and the pooled prevalence of SA among community-dwelling older adults was 31%. The results of the subgroup analysis showed that the overall prevalence of SA was 35.9% in females and 28.3% in males. The pooled prevalence of SA for those living alone and those not living alone was 35% and 22%, respectively. The overall estimates of SA prevalence in articles published after 2021 was 38%. Besides, the prevalence of SA was highest in China (44%).

This meta-analysis revealed that nearly a third of community-dwelling older adults had SA (31%). The subgroup analysis showed that the incidence of SA was higher in females and in China. Besides, the prevalence of SA has increased recently, posing a threat to the physical and mental health of them. Thus, effective preventive measures, regular screening and timely interventions are needed to address this highly prevalent public health problem.

CRD42024615937 (PROSPERO).

There is no patient or public involvement, as this article is a meta-analysis.