IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v19y2022i3p1253-d731391.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Cost of Loneliness: Assessing the Social Relationships of the Elderly via an Abbreviated Sociotype Questionnaire for inside and outside the Clinic

Author

Listed:
  • Jorge Navarro

    (Grupo de Decisión Multicriterio Zaragoza (GDMZ), Faculty of Economics, University of Zaragoza, 50005 Zaragoza, Spain)

  • Miguel Cañete

    (Psychology and Sociology Department, Education Faculty, University of Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain)

  • Francisco J. Olivera

    (Department of Psychiatry, Hospital San Jorge (Psychogeriatric Program), 22004 Huesca, Spain)

  • Marta Gil-Lacruz

    (Psychology and Sociology Department, Health Science Faculty, University of Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain)

  • Ana Gil-Lacruz

    (Business Department, School of Engineering and Architecture, University of Zaragoza, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain)

  • Pedro C. Marijuán

    (Independent Scholar Affiliated to Bioinformation Group, Instituto Aragonés de Ciencias de la Salud (IACS), 50009 Zaragoza, Spain)

Abstract

Gauging the social relationships of the elderly is a significant sociometric research subject and a deep biomedical concern—particularly after the COVID-19 pandemic. It is imperative for facultatives in primary care, for geriatric clinics, and for social care services. In this respect, this article explores the validity of an abbreviated version of the Sociotype Questionnaire (SOCQ), a tool previously developed by the authors for assessing the social relationships of the general population, now specifically addressed to the elderly population. The aim is to construct a 4-item dichotomous scale (SOCG-4) out of the 12 items of the original scale of the SOCQ, so that it can serve to discriminate among the patients in primary care and the geriatric clinic, helping the facultative to find those in need of social care or of psychosocial intervention. The population data have been obtained from a series of previous studies on social relationships in different segments of the elderly population (Ntotal = 915). The resulting abbreviated version of SOCG-4 was extracted by means of confirmatory factor analysis, with the congruence, validity, and relationship with the determinants as close to optimal. The significant correlations with SOCQ (0.82), UCLA (−0.55), Barthel (0.40), and other relevant tests are obtained. The test was also put to trial in a pilot study, being applied to 150 subjects via phone surveys, home visiting, and geriatric clinic—it becomes particularly useful for assessing the social relationships in geriatric clinic use. The 4-item Geriatric Sociotype scale (SOCG-4) appears as a valid measurement instrument for use in the clinic and in other social care instances.

Suggested Citation

  • Jorge Navarro & Miguel Cañete & Francisco J. Olivera & Marta Gil-Lacruz & Ana Gil-Lacruz & Pedro C. Marijuán, 2022. "The Cost of Loneliness: Assessing the Social Relationships of the Elderly via an Abbreviated Sociotype Questionnaire for inside and outside the Clinic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(3), pages 1-15, January.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:3:p:1253-:d:731391
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/3/1253/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/3/1253/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ye Luo & Linda J. Waite, 2014. "Loneliness and Mortality Among Older Adults in China," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 69(4), pages 633-645.
    2. Erin York Cornwell & Linda J. Waite, 2009. "Measuring Social Isolation Among Older Adults Using Multiple Indicators From the NSHAP Study," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 64(suppl_1), pages 38-46.
    3. Klinenberg, E., 2016. "Social Isolation, Loneliness, and Living Alone: Identifying the Risks for Public Health," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 106(5), pages 786-787.
    4. Judith Campisi & Pankaj Kapahi & Gordon J. Lithgow & Simon Melov & John C. Newman & Eric Verdin, 2019. "From discoveries in ageing research to therapeutics for healthy ageing," Nature, Nature, vol. 571(7764), pages 183-192, July.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Jenny Gierveld & Pearl A. Dykstra & Niels Schenk, 2012. "Living arrangements, intergenerational support types and older adult loneliness in Eastern and Western Europe," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 27(7), pages 167-200.
    2. Jing Jing, 2022. "Seeing Streetscapes as Social Infrastructure: A Paradigmatic Case Study of Hornsbergs Strand, Stockholm," Urban Planning, Cogitatio Press, vol. 7(4), pages 510-522.
    3. Qing Zou & Yingsi Lai & Zhao-Rong Lun, 2023. "Exploring the Association between Oxygen Concentration and Life Expectancy in China: A Quantitative Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(2), pages 1-13, January.
    4. Scott, Andrew J., 2023. "The economics of longevity – An introduction," The Journal of the Economics of Ageing, Elsevier, vol. 24(C).
    5. Zheng Xie & Adrienne N Poon & Zhijun Wu & Weiyan Jian & Kit Yee Chan, 2015. "Is Occupation a Good Predictor of Self-Rated Health in China?," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(5), pages 1-18, May.
    6. Jeong-Hui Park & Tyler Prochnow & Christina Amo & Laurel Curran & Matthew Lee Smith, 2023. "Differences in Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior, and Mental Health of the Older Population in South Korea Based on Marital Status and Gender," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(3), pages 1-10, January.
    7. Pérez-Sánchez, Laura À. & Velasco-Fernández, Raúl & Giampietro, Mario, 2022. "Factors and actions for the sustainability of the residential sector. The nexus of energy, materials, space, and time use," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 161(C).
    8. Rambotti, Simone, 2020. "Is there a relationship between welfare-state policies and suicide rates? Evidence from the U.S. states, 2000–2015," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 246(C).
    9. Puxiang Ren & Jakob Emiliussen & Regina Christiansen & Søren Engelsen & Søren Harnow Klausen, 2022. "Filial Piety, Generativity and Older Adults’ Wellbeing and Loneliness in Denmark and China," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 17(5), pages 3069-3090, October.
    10. Kung, Claryn S.J. & Pudney, Stephen E. & Shields, Michael A., 2022. "Economic gradients in loneliness, social isolation and social support: Evidence from the UK Biobank," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 306(C).
    11. Seoyeon Lee & Mohammad Naimul Islam & Kaveh Boostanpour & Dvir Aran & Guangchun Jin & Stephanie Christenson & Michael A. Matthay & Walter L. Eckalbar & Daryle J. DePianto & Joseph R. Arron & Liam Mage, 2021. "Molecular programs of fibrotic change in aging human lung," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-10, December.
    12. Kevin M. Fitzpatrick & Don E. Willis & Matthew L. Spialek & Emily English, 2020. "Food Insecurity in the Post-Hurricane Harvey Setting: Risks and Resources in the Midst of Uncertainty," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(22), pages 1-16, November.
    13. Morgan M. Wright & Pamela Schreiner & B. R. Simon Rosser & Elizabeth J. Polter & Darryl Mitteldorf & William West & Michael W. Ross, 2019. "The Influence of Companion Animals on Quality of Life of Gay and Bisexual Men Diagnosed with Prostate Cancer," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(22), pages 1-8, November.
    14. Linran Zhang & Xiaoyue Fan & Zhanyu Yu, 2022. "Living Alone but Not Feeling Lonely: The Effect of Self-Concealment on Perceived Social Support of Youth Living Alone in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(21), pages 1-14, October.
    15. Timo Anttila & Kirsikka Selander & Tomi Oinas, 2020. "Disconnected Lives: Trends in Time Spent Alone in Finland," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 150(2), pages 711-730, July.
    16. Shervin Assari & Cheryl Wisseh & Mohsen Bazargan, 2019. "Obesity and Polypharmacy among African American Older Adults: Gender as the Moderator and Multimorbidity as the Mediator," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(12), pages 1-16, June.
    17. Natasja Schutter & Tjalling J. Holwerda & Hannie C. Comijs & Max L. Stek & Jaap Peen & Jack J. M. Dekker, 2022. "Loneliness, social network size and mortality in older adults: a meta-analysis," European Journal of Ageing, Springer, vol. 19(4), pages 1057-1076, December.
    18. Jiao Zhang & Lingzhong Xu & Jiajia Li & Long Sun & Gan Ding & Wenzhe Qin & Qian Wang & Jing Zhu & Zihang Yu & Su Xie, 2018. "Loneliness and Health Service Utilization among the Rural Elderly in Shandong, China: A Cross-Sectional Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(7), pages 1-11, July.
    19. Jones, Francis & Quashie, Nekehia, 2023. "The ageing Caribbean: 20 years of the Madrid Plan of Action," Studies and Perspectives – ECLAC Subregional Headquarters for The Caribbean 48699, Naciones Unidas Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL).
    20. Damien S. E. Broekharst & Sjaak Bloem & Marije Blok & Mariët Raatgever & Nathascha Hanzen & Jasmien J. E. de Vette, 2023. "Determining the Appropriate Support for Older Adults with Different Levels of Vitality and Health-Related Quality of Life: An Explanatory Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(11), pages 1-11, June.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:3:p:1253-:d:731391. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.