Participants with chronic conditions experienced higher loneliness than healthy individuals (27.5% vs 22.1%), which was associated with poor psychological health (PR 3.55; 95% CI 3.05-4.13).
Cross-Sectional (n=2,699)
Does the presence of chronic diseases increase loneliness and reduce health-related quality of life compared to healthy individuals?
Chronic diseases are associated with higher levels of loneliness, which significantly impairs both psychological and physical health-related quality of life.
Absolute Event Rate: 27.5% vs 22.1%
Abstract Background Patients with chronic diseases may be vulnerable to loneliness, but previous studies are inconsistent. Furthermore, the impact of loneliness may differ depending on the type of chronic disease. However, previous studies have focused on single diseases. Thus, this study aims to evaluate the prevalence and impact on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of different chronic diseases. Methods This is a cross-sectional study. We included from the Korean general population, participants with cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, respiratory, endocrine/metabolic, ear/eye, urologic/reproductive, gastrointestinal, mental, and cerebrovascular diseases, and cancer. Loneliness was assessed by using the third revised version of the UCLA Loneliness Scale. HRQoL was assessed by using the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Global Health v1.2. Results A total of 2699 participants were enrolled, of whom 1755 (65.0%) had at least one chronic disease. Participants with chronic conditions (27.5%) were more likely to experience high levels of loneliness than healthy individuals (22.1%). The highest levels of loneliness were found in mental disorders (57.4%), followed by cerebrovascular (36.7%) and ear/eye (35.8%) diseases. High levels of loneliness were associated with poor psychological health (prevalence ratio PR 3.55, 95% confidence interval CI 3.05, 4.13) and physical health (PR 1.73, 95% CI 1.55, 1.93). In participants with cancer, the PR for poor psychological health was 5.89 (95% CI 3.32, 10.46), but this estimate is imprecise and should be interpreted cautiously due to the small subgroup (n = 87). Conclusion Participants with chronic conditions had higher loneliness than the general population, especially those with mental, cerebrovascular, and ear/eye diseases. Loneliness not only affects psychological health, but also has a significant impact on physical health.
Heo et al. (Sat,) conducted a cross-sectional in Chronic diseases (n=2,699). Chronic conditions vs. Healthy individuals was evaluated on High levels of loneliness. Participants with chronic conditions experienced higher loneliness than healthy individuals (27.5% vs 22.1%), which was associated with poor psychological health (PR 3.55; 95% CI 3.05-4.13).