Trajectory of social isolation following hip fracture: an analysis of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) cohort.

Abstract

Background:

socialisolation is defined as a lack of meaningful and sustained communication or interactions with social networks. There is limited understanding on the prevalence of socialisolation and loneliness in people followinghipfracture and no previous understanding of how this changes over time.

Objective:

to determine the prevalence and trajectory of socialisolation and loneliness before a hipfracture, during the recovery phase and a minimum of 2 years post-hipfracture in an English population.

Methods:

data were from the EnglishLongitudinalStudy of Ageing (ELSA) cohort (2004/5-2014/15). The sample comprised of 215 participants who had sustained a hipfracture. Measures of socialisolation and loneliness were analysed through multilevel modelling to determine their trajectories during three-time intervals (pre-fracture; interval at hipfracture and recovery; minimum 2 years post-fracture). The prevalence of socialisolation and loneliness were determined pre- and post-fracture.

Results:

prevalence of socialisolation was 19% post-hipfracture and loneliness 13% post-hipfracture. There was no statistically significant change in socialisolation pre-fracture compared to a minimum of 2 years post-fracture (P = 0.78). Similarly, there was no statistically significant change in loneliness pre-fracture compared to a minimum of 2 years post-fracture (P = 0.12).

Conclusion:

this analysis has determined that whilst socialisolation and loneliness do not change over time followinghipfracture, these remain a significant problem for this population. Interventions are required to address these physical and psychological health needs. This is important as they may have short and longer term health benefits for people post-hipfracture.