People who have osteoarthritis may increase their risk of becoming socially isolated, reveals a new study. The findings of the study are published in the Journal of American Geriatrics Society.// When older adults become lonely a condition health professionals call "social isolation"--their health and well-being can suffer. In fact, there may be a link between being socially isolated and osteoarthritis (arthritis) which causes joint pain and can limit your ability to get around.
‘Older adults with arthritis could benefit from physical activity and participating in social activities.
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These include anxiety and depression, being afraid to move around (because arthritis makes moving painful), physical inactivity, and being unable to take care of themselves. Read More..
Some 30 percent of adults aged 65 and older have arthritis to some degree, especially in their leg joints. Despite that, until now, there has been little research on the relationship between arthritis and social isolation.
In a study, researchers examined the information from the European Project on OSteoArthritis (EPOSA) study. They wanted to learn whether there is an association between arthritis and social isolation and to identify the disease's contribution to social isolation.
EPOSA is a study of 2,942 adults between the ages of 65 to 85 years old who live in six European countries--Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and the UK. In all, 1,967 people, around the age of 73, participated.
The researchers wanted to know whether the participants were socially isolated at the beginning of the study as well as 12 to 18 months later. To do so, the researchers used questionnaires that logged how often and how many times the participants connected socially with friends and family members. They also learned how often the participants volunteered or participated in social activities.
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Of the 1,585 participants who weren't considered socially isolated at the beginning of the study, 13 percent had become socially isolated 12 to 18 months later. They reported that their health and osteoarthritis had worsened; they were in more pain, had become less physically active, had slower walking times, and had depression and problems with thinking and making decisions.
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Because social isolation can worsen your health, the researchers suggested that older adults with arthritis perhaps could benefit from physical activity and participating in social activities. Specifically, they suggested, healthcare providers might refer people to senior centers where activities are specially designed for people with arthritis.
Source-Eurekalert