Source: Xinhua

03-26-2009 11:38

Special Report:   Tech Max

BEIJING, March 26 (Xinhuanet) -- People in old age who lack family and friends, or who feel lonely despite having others around them, tend to be in poorer physical and mental health, a new study released by Journal of Health and Social Behavior shows.

 People in old age who lack family and friends, or who feel lonely despite having others around them, tend to be in poorer physical and mental health, a new study released by Journal of Health and Social Behavior shows.
 People in old age who lack family and friends, or who feel
lonely despite having others around them, tend to be in poorer
physical and mental health, a new study released by Journal
of Health and Social Behavior shows.(File photo)

Researchers found that among roughly 3,000 U.S. adults ages 57 to 85, those with few social connections were less likely to describe their physical health as good or excellent. Meanwhile, those who felt socially isolated -- even if they had friends, family and social activities -- tended to report poorer physical and mental well-being.

The findings add to evidence linking social connections to older adults' health.

"Most older adults will experience significant changes in their social relationships due to things like retirement and bereavement, for example," said lead researcher Dr. Erin York Cornwell, of Cornell University in Ithaca, New York.

Some people, she told media, respond to this by becoming active in social organizations or spending more time with friends and family. Yet some may still end up feeling lonely at the end of the day. On the other hand, some older adults are satisfied with having fewer relationships.

Feelings of loneliness and isolation may affect older adults' health in a number of ways, according to Cornwell. They can, for example, create stress, lower self-esteem or contribute to depression, all of which may have physical heath consequences -- either by affecting a person's lifestyle choices or through direct effects on the body, such as dampened immune system functioning.

It will be important, Cornwell noted, to try to find out why some adults are able to deal with relationship losses, while others feel isolated even if they have friends or social activities to fall back on.




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Editor:Yang Jie