Keywords
elderly
loneliness
Maldives
prevalence
sociability
well-being
How to Cite
Abstract
Loneliness, depression and sociability among the elderly population are recognized as critical global public health issues. Understanding the level and depth of these issues can be helpful for designing future public health interventions for this population. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and explore the relationships between loneliness, social isolation and depression among the senior population living in Male’, Maldives. This is an analytical descriptive study in which data was collected through a questionnaire administered in a personal face-to-face approach. This study was carried out in the four wards of Male’, Henveyru, Maafannu, Machangolhi and Galolhu among elderly people aged between 65 to 75 years (n= 312). The prevalence of elderly depression, sociability and loneliness found in this study were 56.1%, 64.0% and 55.4% respectively. The study also revealed that loneliness and depression were positively correlated each other (r =0.817, p < 0.001), while a negative correlation were observed between sociability and depression, sociability and loneliness (r = - 0.656, p < 0.001) and (r = -0.603, p < 0.001). Therefore, the study suggests to modify and implement age-sensitive interventions and address all the three aspects together to reduce significant adverse effects on elderly health.
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