2020 Volume 14 Issue 1 Pages 47-57
Aim: The purpose of this study was to examine social isolation among community-dwelling elderly people with exercise habits, and the factors that could lead to a change in their experience of social isolation.
Method: The 118 subjects all participated in radio calisthenics and lived in a community. We investigated the effect of social isolation using the shortened version of the Lubben Social Network Scale. Participants were asked to complete a stressful life event questionnaire. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven people who had experienced a change in their social isolation status to investigate the causes of the change.
Results: First, 14 subjects experienced social isolation（11.9%）. Second, social isolation was common when stressful life events had occurred close to the survey period. Factors that led to social isolation – “refusing to be intimate with others” and “progressively less social contact with aging” – and factors that prevented isolation – “participation in voluntary group activities” and “adapting to environmental changes” – were extracted.
Conclusion: The results suggest that psychological factors due to stressful life events may temporarily reduce contact with others and lead to social isolation, but over time and with participation in voluntary group activities many are able to escape from isolation.
