Abstract
Objectives : The purpose of this study is to evaluate the reliability and validity of the Japanese version of UCLA LS3, which is an internationally standardized instrument to evaluate loneliness, for community-dwelling elderly in Japan. Methods : A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a mail-self-administered questionnaire. The target population was randomly selected 1,000 community residents, aged 65 years and over, living in B Ward, A City Japan, as of 2011. Questionnaire items encompassed the Japanese version of the UCLA LS3 and demographic data, as well as physical and mental states, social network, and objective health states. Results : The number of responses was 540 (valid response rate: 54.0%). The mean age ± SD was 73.6 ± 6.8years old. Two hundred and twenty five (50.8%) were male and two hundred and eighteen (49.2%) were female. The mean score of the Japanese version of UCLA LS3 was 42.2 ± 9.9 (male: 44.0 ± 9.1, female: 40.6 ± 10.4), ranging from 20.0〜78.0, under the normality of distribution. The Cronback a coefficient of total items of the Japanese version of UCLA LS3 was 0.92. Scores of the Japanese version of the UCLA LS3 had a significant correlation with GDS (r = 0.52, p < 0.01) and a significant negative correlation with SRH (r = -0.26, p < 0.001) respectively. Conclusion : The reliability and validity of the assessment tool of loneliness for community-dwelling elderly in Japan, the Japanese version of UCLA LS3, is demonstrated to be considerably high.
