Lonely older adults are more likely to delay or avoid medical care during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

To examine the relationship between loneliness and self-reported delay or avoidance of medical care among community-dwelling older adults during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Methods

Analyses of data from a nationally representative survey administered in June of 2020, in COVID-19 module of the Health and Retirement Study. Bivariate and multivariable analyses determined associations of loneliness with the likelihood of, reasons for, and types of care delay or avoidance.

Results

The rate of care delay or avoidance since March of 2020 was 29.1% among all respondents (n = 1997), and 10.1% higher for lonely (n = 1,150%, 57.6%) versus non-lonely respondents (33.5% vs. 23.4%; odds ratio = 1.59, p = 0.003 after covariate adjustment). The differ

SUBMITTER: Li Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8884256 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature