Loneliness, Social Isolation, and Digital Health Literacy Among Older Women Living Alone in South Korea During the COVID-19 Pandemic

• 발행기관: 대한신경정신의학회
• 저자명: Minhwa Hwang Gahye Kim Seonghyeon Lee Yeon-Hwan Park
• 간행물 정보: 『Psychiatry Investigation』제22권 제1호, 75~83쪽, 전체 9쪽
• 주제분류: 의약학 > 정신과학
• 파일형태: PDF
• 발행일자: 2025.01.01

국문 초록

Objective: While using digital technologies for social health is widely acknowledged, the relationship between loneliness, social isolation, and digital health literacy remains unknown. This study aimed to assess the levels of loneliness, social isolation, and digital health literacy in older women living alone and to explore the associations between these factors. Methods: In August 2021, a cross-sectional survey was conducted on 145 older women living alone, selected using convenience sampling. The study used the University of California, Los Angeles Loneliness Scale (version 3), Lubben Social Network Scale-6, and Digital Health Technology Literacy-Assessment Questionnaire. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, the Mann–Whitney U test, the Kruskal–Wallis test, Spearman’s rho correlation, and a generalized linear model (GLM). Results: Of the participants, 22.8% (n=33) reported moderate loneliness, 20.7% (n=30) reported severe loneliness, and 36.6% (n=53) were at risk for social isolation. The mean digital health literacy score among participants was 4.85 (SD=6.92), which is relatively low. Importantly, our findings using a GLM to control for covariates revealed a significant association between loneliness (B=-0.013, p=0.018) and digital health literacy. Conclusion: The increased loneliness experienced during the pandemic may contribute to low digital health literacy, alienating these individuals from the benefits of digital technologies. Therefore, in developing digital health programs or policies, it is imperative to consider the psychosocial status of individuals, including loneliness, while enhancing digital health literacy.

목차

INTRODUCTION

METHODS

RESULTS

DISCUSSION

REFERENCES

키워드

Loneliness Social isolation Health literacy Digital divide Aged