Growing older often means facing unique challenges, including health issues and the loss of friends and family, which can lead to feeling alone.
The concern is so significant that both the U.S. Surgeon General and the National Academy of Medicine have flagged social isolation and loneliness as serious threats to the health of older adults.
Social isolation occurs when people have limited or no contact with others. It can range from missing out on regular conversations to having no one to turn to at all. In the U.S., about one in five adults over 65 experiences some level of social isolation.
A recent study led by Associate Professor Gilbert Gimm has uncovered another worrying aspect of this solitude among seniors: an increased likelihood of smoking.
The Link Between Loneliness and Smoking
Gimm’s study, which included over 8,000 American seniors, showed that 17.1% of these older adults were socially isolated and more prone to smoking than those who regularly interacted with others. This habit can lead to further health complications and even early death.
Interestingly, the study also found that feelings of depression and anxiety, which are often higher in isolated individuals, could increase the chances of smoking.
Degrees of Isolation and Smoking Rates
The research highlighted a stark difference in smoking rates based on the level of isolation. Those who had limited social contact, like phone calls without in-person visits, were twice as likely to smoke compared to socially active seniors.
For those completely cut off from community interaction, the likelihood of smoking was five times higher.
Which Comes First: Smoking or Isolation?
The study’s findings open the door to the question: Does smoking lead to isolation, or does feeling isolated drive people to smoke? While the answer isn’t clear yet, what is evident is that both smoking and social isolation can shorten the lives of older adults.
These insights from the National Health and Aging Trends Study are crucial. They suggest that finding ways to reduce loneliness among the elderly could improve their health and potentially extend their lives.
The study, titled “Examining the Association of Social Isolation and Smoking in Older Adults,” was published in the Journal of Applied Gerontology in June 2023.
It offers an important perspective on how social well-being is tightly linked to health behaviors and overall longevity, emphasizing the need for social systems and communities to better support the older generation.
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The research findings can be found in the Journal of Applied Gerontology.
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