Table 1. Descriptive Characteristics for Older Adults Overall and by Level of Social Isolation, 2006-2018a.
| Measure | All respondents, weighted % (unweighted No.) | Weighted % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Socially isolated (n = 3127)b | Not socially isolated (n = 18 369) | ||
| Outcome variables | |||
| Overnight hospitalization | 30.54 (6671) | 31.88 | 30.28 |
| Skilled nursing facility visitsc | 3.82 (817) | 5.31 | 3.54 |
| Nursing home placementc | 1.94 (407) | 3.98 | 1.56 |
| Lonelinessc | 23.52 (4975) | 38.00 | 20.81 |
| Depressionc | 11.82 (2478) | 20.44 | 10.21 |
| Time point | |||
| First (2008-2010) | 30.08 (7903) | 29.26 | 30.24 |
| Second (2012-2014) | 33.55 (7247) | 35.12 | 33.26 |
| Third (2016-2018) | 36.36 (6346) | 35.61 | 36.50 |
| Female sexc | 57.24 (12 712) | 62.59 | 56.23 |
| Age, yc | |||
| 65-74 | 58.18 (11 590) | 50.90 | 59.54 |
| 75-84 | 31.15 (7768) | 32.20 | 30.96 |
| 85-94 | 10.17 (2055) | 15.74 | 9.13 |
| ≥95 | 0.49 (83) | 1.16 | 0.37 |
| Race and ethnicity | |||
| Black | 8.41 (2605) | 8.29 | 8.43 |
| Hispanic | 6.74 (1571) | 6.84 | 6.72 |
| White | 88.08 (18 169) | 87.17 | 88.25 |
| Otherd | 3.51 (722) | 4.54 | 3.32 |
| Medicaidc | 6.92 (1536) | 12.68 | 5.84 |
| Current smokingc | 8.36 (1756) | 14.38 | 7.23 |
| Not physically activec | 45.17 (9861) | 54.29 | 43.46 |
| ADL difficulty score, mean (SD)c,e | 0.18 (0.60) | 0.29 (0.73) | 0.16 (0.57) |
| IADL difficulty score, mean (SD)c,e | 0.11 (0.48) | 0.18 (0.56) | 0.10 (0.46) |
| No. of chronic illnesses, mean (SD)c,e | 2.29 (1.48) | 2.43 (1.45) | 2.27 (1.49) |
| ADRDf | 2.65 (561) | 3.75 | 2.44 |
Abbreviations: ADL, activities of daily living; ADRD, Alzheimer disease and related dementias; IADL, instrumental ADL.
Estimates represent weighted percentages unless indicated otherwise. Weighted 210 813 081 person-years; unweighted 21 496 person-years. Missing observations include 85 for hospitalization and 135 for skilled nursing facility stays.
Respondents with a social isolation score of 3 or higher were characterized as socially isolated for the purposes of this table.
Difference between older adults who were socially isolated and not socially isolated was significant at P ≤ .001.
Includes American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian or Pacific Islander, and other race, which has no further breakdown available because this variable was obtained directly from the Health and Retirement Study.
Values listed for continuous scores or count variables indicate weighted means and SDs.
Difference between older adults who were socially isolated and not socially isolated was significant at P = .002.