| 1. |
- Dahlberg, Lena, 1970-, et al.
(författare)
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Predictors of loneliness among older women and men in Sweden : A national longitudinal study
- 2015
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Ingår i: Aging & Mental Health. - : Routledge. - 1360-7863 .- 1364-6915. ; 19:5, s. 409-417
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objectives: Longitudinal research on loneliness in old age has rarely considered loneliness separately for men and women, despite gender differences in life experiences. The objective of this study was to examine the extent to which older women and men (70+) report feelings of loneliness with a focus on: (a) changes in reported loneliness as people age, and (b) which factors predict loneliness.Method: Data from the 2004 and 2011 waves of SWEOLD, a longitudinal national survey, was used (n = 587). The prediction of loneliness in 2011 by variables measured in 2004 and 2004–2011 variable change scores was examined in three logistic regression models: total sample, women and men. Variables in the models included: gender, age, education, mobility problems, depression, widowhood and social contacts.Results: Older people moved into and out of frequent loneliness over time, although there was a general increase in loneliness with age. Loneliness at baseline, depression increment and recent widowhood were significant predictors of loneliness in all three multivariable models. Widowhood, depression, mobility problems and mobility reduction predicted loneliness uniquely in the model for women; while low level of social contacts and social contact reduction predicted loneliness uniquely in the model for men.Conclusion: This study challenges the notion that feelings of loneliness in old age are stable. It also identifies important gender differences in prevalence and predictors of loneliness. Knowledge about such differences is crucial for the development of effective policy and interventions to combat loneliness in later life.
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| 2. |
- Dahlberg, Lena, 1970-, et al.
(författare)
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Correlates of social and emotional loneliness in older people : evidence from an English community study
- 2014
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Ingår i: Aging & Mental Health. - : Taylor & Francis. - 1360-7863 .- 1364-6915. ; 18:4, s. 504-514
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objectives: Loneliness is an important influence on quality of life in old age, and has been conceptualised as consisting of two dimensions, social and emotional. This paper describes analyses that sought to produce models of social and emotional loneliness in older people, using demographic, psychological and health, and social variables.Method: Older people (aged 65+, N=1255) from the Barnsley metropolitan area of the United Kingdom were recruited randomly from within a stratified sampling frame, and received a questionnaire-based interview (response rate: 68.1%). The questionnaire contained items and scales on demographic, psychological and health and social characteristics, and a validated measure of loneliness that assesses both social and emotional loneliness.Results: Of the respondents, 7.7% were found to be severely or very severely lonely, while another 38.3% were moderately lonely. Social and Emotional Loneliness shared 19.36% variance. Being male, being widowed, low well-being, low self-esteem, low income comfort, low contact with family, low contact with friends, low Activity, low Perceived Community Integration, and receipt of community care were significant predictors of Social Loneliness (R=.50, R2=.25, F(18, 979)=18.17, p<.001). Being widowed, low well-being, low self-esteem, high activity restriction, low income comfort, and non-receipt of informal care were significant predictors of Emotional Loneliness (R=.55, R2=.30, F(18, 973)=23.00, p<.001).Conclusion: This study provides further empirical support for the conceptual separation of emotional and social loneliness. Consequently, policy on loneliness in older people should be directed to developing a range of divergent intervention strategies if both emotional and social loneliness are to be reduced.
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| 3. |
- Vethanayagam, Natalie, et al.
(författare)
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Understanding help-seeking in older people with urinary incontinence : an interview study
- 2017
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Ingår i: Health & Social Care in the Community. - : Hindawi Limited. - 0966-0410 .- 1365-2524. ; 25:3, s. 1061-1069
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The prevalence of urinary incontinence (UI) increases with age and can negatively affect quality of life. However, relatively few older people with UI seek treatment. The aim of this study was to explore the views of older people with UI on the process of seeking help. Older people with UI were recruited to the study from three continence services in the north of England: a geriatrician-led hospital outpatient clinic (n = 18), a community-based nurse-led service (n = 22) and a consultant gynaecologist-led service specialising in surgical treatment (n = 10). Participants took part in semi-structured interviews, which were transcribed and underwent thematic content analysis. Three main themes emerged: Being brushed aside, in which participants expressed the feeling that general practitioners did not prioritise or recognise their concerns; Putting up with it, in which participants delayed seeking help for their UI due to various reasons including embarrassment, the development of coping mechanisms, perceiving UI as a normal part of the ageing process, or being unaware that help was available; and Something has to be done, in which help-seeking was prompted by the recognition that their UI was a serious problem, whether as a result of experiencing UI in public, the remark of a relative, the belief that they had a serious illness or the detection of UI during comprehensive geriatric assessment. Greater awareness that UI is a treatable condition and not a normal part of ageing is needed in the population and among health professionals. Comprehensive geriatric assessment appeared an important trigger for referral and treatment in our participants. Screening questions by healthcare professionals could be a means to identify, assess and treat older people with UI.
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| 4. |
- Vicente, Joana, et al.
(författare)
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Informal care provision among male and female working carers : Findings from a Swedish national survey
- 2022
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Ingår i: PLOS ONE. - : Public Library of Science. - 1932-6203. ; 17:3
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- IntroductionInformal carers in paid employment–working carers (WKCs)—have complex support needs. However, little is known about WKCs’ pattern of informal care provision, the support they receive, the impact providing care has on their employment, and how these vary between male and female WKCs. This study describes the pattern of informal care provision and received support among Swedish WKCs.Research method/DesignThe study was a cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey of a stratified random sample of the Swedish population aged 18 or over. The questionnaire addressed the type and extent of informal care provided, support received and the impact of care provision on employment. Of the 30,009 people who received the questionnaire, 11,168 (37.3%) responded, providing an analytic sample of 818 (7.32% of respondents) employed or self-employed informal carers.FindingsA typical Swedish WKC was a middle-aged female, providing weekly or daily care to a non-cohabitant parent, who experiences care as sometimes demanding and receives no formal support as a carer. Female WKCs were more likely than males to care alone and with higher intensity, to report a need for help in meeting their care-recipient’s needs, and to experience care as demanding. Approximately 17% of WKCs reported their employment had been affected due to caring, 40% their ability to work, and 31% their career development opportunities. Female WKCs’ ability to work was affected more than males’, and they were more commonly prevented from applying for work.ConclusionSwedish female WKCs compared to males provide more hours of informal care, across more care domains, more often alone. This places them in a challenging situation when combining paid work and care. Greater recognition of the challenges faced by WKCs is required in Sweden and other countries, as are policies to reduce gender inequalities in informal care provision in this group.
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| 5. |
- Dahlberg, Lena, 1970-, et al.
(författare)
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A social exclusion perspective on loneliness in older adults in the Nordic countries
- 2022
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Ingår i: European Journal of Ageing. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1613-9372 .- 1613-9380. ; 19:2, s. 175-188
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Several factors associated with loneliness are also considered indicators of social exclusion. While loneliness has been proposed as an outcome of social exclusion, there is limited empirical evidence of a link. This study examines the associations between social exclusion indicators and loneliness in older adults (60+ years) in four Nordic countries. Data from four waves of the European Social Survey were pooled, providing a total of 7755 respondents (Denmark n = 1647; Finland n = 2501, Norway n = 1540; Sweden n = 2067). Measures of loneliness, demographic characteristics, health, and eight indicators of social exclusion were selected from the survey for analysis. Country-specific and total sample hierarchical logistic regression models of loneliness were developed. Significant model improvement occurred for all models after social exclusion indicators were added to models containing only demographic and health variables. Country models explained between 15.1 (Finland) and 21.5% (Sweden) of the variance in loneliness. Lower frequency of social contacts and living alone compared to in a two-person household was associated with a higher probability of loneliness in all countries, while other indicators were associated with loneliness in specific countries: lower neighbourhood safety (Sweden and Denmark); income concern (Sweden and Finland); and no emotional support (Denmark, Finland, and Sweden). A robust relationship was apparent between indicators of social exclusion and loneliness with the direction of associations being highly consistent across countries, even if their strength and statistical significance varied. Social exclusion has considerable potential for understanding and addressing risk factors for loneliness.
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| 6. |
- Dahlberg, Lena, 1970-, et al.
(författare)
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Trends and gender associations in social exclusion in older adults in Sweden over two decades
- 2020
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Ingår i: Archives of gerontology and geriatrics (Print). - : Elsevier BV. - 0167-4943 .- 1872-6976. ; 89
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Social exclusion in older adults is associated with lower well-being and poorer health. To date there has been little research on whether the level of social exclusion in older adults changes over time, and its association with gender.Aim: To examine trends and gender associations in social exclusion indicators in older adults for the years 1992, 2002 and 2011.Methods: Three waves of data from the Swedish Panel Study of Living Conditions of the Oldest Old (SWEOLD), a national survey of adults aged 77 years or older, were analysed: 1992 (n = 537), 2002 (n = 621), and 2011 (n = 904). Summative scales were created for four domains of social exclusion: material resources, social relations and leisure activities, civic participation, and services. Associations between gender and social exclusion within waves were examined as were trends in social exclusion across years.Results: The analyses of trends found significant reductions in exclusion in the domains of material resources and services. Higher levels of exclusion from material resources and civic participation were found in women than men. Within domains, significant trends and gender associations in exclusion were found on several indicators, with indicators showing opposing trends.Conclusion: Although levels of social exclusion have reduced in certain domains during the years examined, our results reflect the persistence of social exclusion in the population of older adults. This underlines the continuing importance of a well-developed welfare and social security system to ensure the social inclusion of vulnerable groups such as older adults.
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| 7. |
- Nilsen, Charlotta, et al.
(författare)
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Long-term risk factors for old-age social exclusion in Sweden : a 30-year longitudinal study
- 2022
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Ingår i: Archives of gerontology and geriatrics (Print). - : Elsevier BV. - 0167-4943 .- 1872-6976. ; 103
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose of the research: Social exclusion threatens quality of life in older age. However, there is a lack of research on social exclusion from life-course and gender perspectives. We investigated early-and midlife risk factors for old-age social exclusion among women and men.Materials and methods: Two individually linked studies of Swedish nationally representative samples provided longitudinal data over a 30-year period on 1,819 people at baseline. Indicators of economic exclusion, leisure/ social exclusion, and civic exclusion were assessed at early late life (M=70 years) and late life (M=81). Educational attainment, non-employment, psychological health problems and mobility problems were measured as risk factors at midlife (M=54) and late midlife (M=61). Path analysis derived a model of old-age social exclusion.Results: Exclusion on a domain in early late life led to exclusion on the same domain in late life, except for the economic domain. Leisure/social exclusion in early late life also led to civic exclusion in late life. Midlife risk factors influenced late-life exclusion almost exclusively through early late-life exclusion. While model fit could not be significantly improved by allowing coefficients to vary freely by gender, there was a stronger effect of non -employment on exclusion in women and a stronger effect of psychological health problems on exclusion in men.Conclusions: This study confirms that old-age exclusion is persistent and dynamic, and influenced by risk factors experienced earlier in life. A holistic approach with integrated efforts across different policy areas is needed to efficiently reduce old-age social exclusion.
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| 8. |
- Nosowska, Geraldine, et al.
(författare)
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Using structured observation and content analysis to explore the presence of older people in public fora in developing countries
- 2014
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Ingår i: Journal of Aging Research. - : Hindawi Publishing Corporation. - 2090-2204 .- 2090-2212. ; , s. 860612-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- There is a lack of research on the everyday lives of older people in developing countries. This exploratory study used structured observation and content analysis to examine the presence of older people in public fora, and considered the methods’ potential for understanding older people’s social integration and inclusion. Structured observation occurred of public social spaces in six cities each located in a different developing country, and in one city in the United Kingdom, together with content analysis of the presence of people in newspaper pictures and on television in the selected countries. Results indicated that across all fieldwork sites and data sources, there was a low presence of older people, with women considerably less present than men in developing countries. There was variation across fieldwork sites in older people’s presence by place and time of day, and in their accompanied status. The presence of older people in images drawn from newspapers was associated with the news/non-news nature of the source. The utility of the study’s methodological approach is considered, as is the degree to which the presence of older people in public fora might relate to social integration and inclusion in different cultural contexts.
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| 9. |
- Andersson, Stefan, et al.
(författare)
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Valued and received forms of support among Swedish working carers of older people : a descriptive study with focus on ICT-mediated support
- 2019
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Ingår i: Technology and Disability. - : IOS Press. - 1055-4181 .- 1878-643X. ; 31:4, s. 189-202
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Working family carers are an important resource for the care of older people but can experience negativepressures without support.OBJECTIVE: This study examined the perceived value of forms of support and the level of receipt of valued forms of supportamong Swedish working carers, with a focus on information and communication technology (ICT)-mediated support.METHODS: A convenience sample (N = 129) of working carers caring for an older (> 65 years) relative completed a webbasedquestionnaire that addressed: caring characteristics; work-care conflict; and valued and received forms of support.RESULTS: Overall non-ICT forms of support were the most highly valued, while receipt of valued support was low: on averageonly 16.9% of participants who valued ICT-mediated forms of support received such support, while the figure was only slightlyhigher (23.4%) for non-ICT forms of support. Higher levels of work-care conflict were associated with higher perceived value ofsupport for 13 out of fourteen forms of support.CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that ICT-mediated and non-ICT forms of support should be regarded as complementary,while the low level of receipt of valued forms of support could indicate high levels of unmet need in working carers. Implicationsfor further research and policy on working carers are considered.
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| 10. |
- Dahlberg, Lena, 1970-, et al.
(författare)
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A systematic review of longitudinal risk factors for loneliness in older adults
- 2021
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Ingår i: Aging & Mental Health. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1360-7863 .- 1364-6915. ; 26:2, s. 225-249
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVES: To effectively reduce loneliness in older adults, interventions should be based on firm evidence regarding risk factors for loneliness in that population. This systematic review aimed to identify, appraise and synthesise longitudinal studies of risk factors for loneliness in older adults.METHODS: Searches were performed in June 2018 in PsycINFO, Scopus, Sociology Collection and Web of Science. Inclusion criteria were: population of older adults (M = 60+ years at outcome); longitudinal design; study conducted in an OECD country; article published in English in a peer-review journal. Article relevance and quality assessments were made by at least two independent reviewers.RESULTS: The search found 967 unique articles, of which 34 met relevance and quality criteria. The Netherlands and the United States together contributed 19 articles; 17 analysed national samples while 7 studies provided the data for 19 articles. One of two validated scales was used to measure loneliness in 24 articles, although 10 used a single item. A total of 120 unique risk factors for loneliness were examined. Risk factors with relatively consistent associations with loneliness were: not being married/partnered and partner loss; a limited social network; a low level of social activity; poor self-perceived health; and depression/depressed mood and an increase in depression.CONCLUSION: Despite the range of factors examined in the reviewed articles, strong evidence for a longitudinal association with loneliness was found for relatively few, while there were surprising omissions from the factors investigated. Future research should explore longitudinal risk factors for emotional and social loneliness.
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