Objectives: To describe the degree of loneliness among the visually impaired elderly and to make a comparison with a matched reference group of the normally sighted elderly. In addition, we examined self-management abilities (SMAs) as determinants of loneliness among the visually impaired elderly. Method: In a cross-sectional study, 173 visually impaired elderly persons completed telephone interviews. Loneliness and SMAs were assessed with the Loneliness Scale of De Jong Gierveld and the SMAS-30, respectively. Results: The prevalence of loneliness among the visually impaired elderly was higher compared with the reference group (50% vs. 29%; p < .001). Multivariate hierarchical regression analysis showed that the SMA self-efficacy, partner status, and self-esteem were determinants of loneliness. Severity and duration of visual impairment had no effect on loneliness. Discussion: The relationship between SMAs (i.e., self-efficacy) and loneliness is promising, as SMAs can be learned through training. Consequently, self-management training may reduce feelings of loneliness.
BarronC. R.FoxallM. J.Von DollenK.JonesP. A.ShullK. A. (1994). Marital status, social support, and loneliness in visually impaired elderly people. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 19, 272-280.
2.
BondevikM.SkogstadA. (1998). The oldest old, ADL, social network, and loneliness. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 20, 325-343.
3.
BrodyB. L.Roch-LevecqA. C.GamstA. C.MacleanK.KaplanR. M.BrownS. I. (2002). Self-management of age-related macular degeneration and quality of life: A randomized controlled trial. Archives of Ophthalmology, 120, 1477-1483.
4.
Cohen-MansfieldJ.Parpura-GillA. (2007). Loneliness in older persons: A theoretical model and empirical findings. International Psychogeriatrics, 19, 279-294.
5.
De BoerM. R.LangelaanM.JansoniusN. M.Van RensG. H. (2005). Evidence-based guidelines on the referral of visually impaired persons to low vision services. European Journal of Ophthalmology, 15, 400-406.
6.
De Jong GierveldJ. (1998). A review of loneliness: Concept and definitions, determinants and consequences. Reviews in Clinical Gerontology, 8, 73-80.
7.
De Jong GierveldJ.KamphuisF. (1985). The development of a rasch-type loneliness scale. Applied Psychological Measurement, 9, 289-299.
8.
De Jong GierveldJ.Van TilburgT. (1999). Manual of the loneliness scale. Amsterdam, Netherlands: Free University Amsterdam.
9.
DeegD. J.Van TilburgT.SmitJ. H.de LeeuwE. D. (2002). Attrition in the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam. The effect of differential inclusion in side studies. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, 55, 319-328.
10.
DykstraP. A. (1993). The differential availability of relationships and the provision and effectiveness of support to older adults. Journal of Social Personal Relationships, 10, 355-370.
11.
DykstraP. A.De Jong GierveldJ. (2004). Gender and marital-history differences in emotional and social loneliness among Dutch older adults. Canadian Journal on Aging, 23, 141-155.
12.
EvansJ. R.FletcherA. E.WormaldR. P. (2007). Depression and anxiety in visually impaired older people. Ophthalmology, 114, 283-288.
13.
EvansR. (1983). Loneliness, depression, and social activity after determination of legal blindness. Psychological Reports, 52, 603-608.
14.
FieldA. (2009). Discovering statistics using SPSS. Third edition. London, UK: SAGE.
15.
FoxallM.BarronC.Von DollenK.JonesP. (1992). Predictors of loneliness in low vision adults. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 14, 86-99.
16.
FryP. S.DebatsD. L. (2002). Self-efficacy beliefs as predictors of loneliness and psychological distress in older adults. International Journal of Aging & Human Development, 55, 233-269.
17.
GirdlerS. J.BoldyD. P.DhaliwalS. S.CrowleyM.PackerT. L. (2010). Vision self-management for older adults: A randomised controlled trial. British Journal of Ophthalmology, 94, 223-228.
18.
GreenL.RichardsonD.LagoT.Schatten-JonesE. (2001). Network correlates of social and emotional loneliness in young and older adults. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 27, 281-288.
19.
HassellJ. B.LamoureuxE. L.KeeffeJ. E. (2006). Impact of age related macular degeneration on quality of life. British Journal of Ophthalmology, 90, 593-596.
20.
HavensB.HallM.SylvestreG.JivanT. (2004). Social isolation and loneliness: Differences between older rural and urban Manitobans. Canadian Journal on Aging, 23, 129-140.
21.
HawkleyL. C.HughesM. E.WaiteL. J.MasiC. M.ThistedR. A.CacioppoJ. T. (2008). From social structural factors to perceptions of relationship quality and loneliness: The Chicago health, aging, and social relations study. Journals of Gerontology. Series B, Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 63B, S375-S384.
22.
HaymanK. J.KerseN. M.La GrowS. J.WouldesT.RobertsonM. C.CampbellA. J. (2007). Depression in older people: Visual impairment and subjective ratings of health. Optometry and Vision Science, 84, 1024-1030.
23.
HaysR. D.SherbourneC. D.MazelR. M. (1993). The RAND 36-item health survey. Health Economics, 2, 217-227.
24.
HeylV.WahlH. (2001). Psychosocial adaptation to age-related vision loss: A six-year perspective. Journal of Visual Impairment and Blindness, 95, 739-748.
25.
HorowitzA. (2004). The prevalence and consequences of vision impairment in later life. Topics in Geriatric Rehabilitation, 20, 185-195.
26.
HughesM. E.WaiteL. J.HawkleyL. C.CacioppoJ. T. (2004). A short scale for measuring loneliness in large surveys: Results from two population-based studies. Research on Aging, 26, 655-672.
27.
IecovichE.IsralowitzR. E. (2004). Visual impairments, functional and health status, and life satisfaction among elderly Bedouins in Israel. Ageing International, 29, 71-87.
28.
KleinbaumD. G.KupperL. L.NizamA.MullerK. E. (2008). Applied regression analysis and other multivariate methods (4th ed.). Belmont, CA: Thomson Brooks/Cole.
29.
KorporaalM.Broese van GroenouM. I.Van TilburgT. G. (2008). Effects of own and spousal disability on loneliness among older adults. Journal of Aging and Health, 20, 306-325.
30.
LamoureuxE. L.HassellJ. B.KeeffeJ. E. (2004). The impact of diabetic retinopathy on participation in daily living. Archives of Ophthalmology, 122, 84-88.
31.
LimburgH. (2007). Epidemiologie van visuele beperkingen en een demografische verkenning [Epidemiology of visual impairment in the Netherlands and a demographic exploration]. Report on behalf of ZonMw/InZicht (The Netherlands organisation for health research and development). Grootebroek, Netherlands.
32.
LimburgJ. J.KeunenJ. E. E.Van RensG. H. M. B. (2009). Visuele beperkingen bij ouderen in Nederland–risicogroepen en mogelijkheden tot interventie [Elderly people with visual impairment in the Netherlands]. Tijdschrift voor Gerontologie en Geriatrie, 40, 149-155.
33.
MangioneC. M.LeeP. P.GutierrezP. R.SpritzerK.BerryS.HaysR. D. (2001). Development of the 25-item National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire. Archives of Ophthalmology, 119, 1050-1058.
34.
MullinsL. C.ElstonC. H.GutkowskiS. M. (1996). Social determinants of loneliness among older Americans. Genetic Social and General Psychology Monographs, 122, 453-453.
35.
PenninxB. W.Van TilburgT.KriegsmanD. M.BoekeA. J.DeegD. J.Van EijkJ. T. (1999). Social network, social support, and loneliness in older persons with different chronic diseases. Journal of Aging and Health, 11, 151-168.
36.
RosenbergM. (1965). Society and the adolescent self-image. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
37.
SavikkoN.RoutasaloP.TilvisR. S.StrandbergT. E.PitkalaK. H. (2005). Predictors and subjective causes of loneliness in an aged population. Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 41, 223-233.
38.
SchuurmansH.SteverinkN.FrieswijkN.BuunkB. P.SlaetsJ. P.LindenbergS. (2005). How to measure self-management abilities in older people by self-report. The development of the SMAS-30. Quality of Life Research, 14, 2215-2228.
39.
SteverinkN.LindenbergS.SlaetsJ. P. J. (2005). How to understand and improve older people’s self-management of wellbeing. European Journal of Ageing, 2, 235-244.
40.
TijhuisM.De Jong GierveldJ.FeskensE.KromhoutD. (1999). Changes in and factors related to loneliness in older men. The Zutphen Elderly Study. Age and Ageing, 28, 491-495.
41.
TolmanJ.HillR. D.KleinschmidtJ. J.GreggC. H. (2005). Psychosocial adaptation to visual impairment and its relationship to depressive affect in older adults with age-related macular degeneration. The Gerontologist, 45, 747-753.
42.
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. (2006). ISCED 1997. International Standard Classification of Education. Paris, France: UNESCO-UIS.
43.
Van BaarsenB. (2002). Theories on coping with loss: The impact of social support and self-esteem on adjustment to emotional and social loneliness following a partner’s death in later life. The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 57B, S33-S42.
44.
Van der ZeeK. I.SandermanR. (1993). Het meten van de algemene gezondheidstoestand met de RAND-36, een handleiding [Measuring general health status with the RAND-36: A manual]. Groningen, Netherlands: Noordelijk Centrum voor Gezondheidsvraagstukken, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen.
45.
Van TilburgT. G. (1990). The size of supportive network in association with the degree of loneliness. In KnipscheerC. P. M.AntonucciT. C. (Eds.), Social network research: Substantive issues and methodological questions (pp. 137-150). Lisse, Netherlands: Swets & Zeitlinger.
46.
Van TilburgT. G. (2007). Prevalentie [Prevalence]. In Van TilburgT. G.De Jong GierveldJ. (Eds.), Zicht op eenzaamheid: achtergronden, oorzaken en aanpak [View on loneliness: Background, causes and approach] (pp. 24-30). Assen, Netherlands: Koninklijke Van Gorcum.
47.
Van TilburgT. G.De Jong GierveldJ. (1999). Cesuurbepaling van de eenzaamheidsschaal [Reference standards for the loneliness scale]. Tijdschrift voor Gerontologie en Geriatrie, 30, 158-163.
48.
VerstratenP. F. J.BrinkmannW. L. J. H.StevensN. L.SchoutenJ. S. A. G. (2005). Loneliness, adaptation to vision impairment, social support and depression among visually impaired elderly. International Congress Series, 1282, 317-321.
49.
WallhagenM. I.StrawbridgeW. J.ShemaS. J.KurataJ.KaplanG. A. (2001). Comparative impact of hearing and vision impairment on subsequent functioning. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 49, 1086-1092.
50.
WestS. K.RubinG. S.BromanA. T.MunozB.Bandeen-RocheK.TuranoK. (2002). How does visual impairment affect performance on tasks of everyday life? The SEE project. Archives of Ophthalmology, 120, 774-780.
