%0 Journal Article %J Journal of Aging and Health %D 2020 %T Isolation, not loneliness or cynical hostility, predicts cognitive decline in older Americans. %A Sarah C. Griffin %A Briana Mezuk %A Williams, Allison Baylor %A Paul B. Perrin %A Bruce D. Rybarczyk %K Cognition & Reasoning %K Depressive symptoms %K Loneliness %K Risk Factors %X

OBJECTIVE: To jointly examine isolation, loneliness, and cynical hostility as risk factors for cognitive decline in older adults.

METHOD: Data came from the 2006 to 2012 waves of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), a longitudinal study of U.S. older adults (age ⩾ 65 years, n = 6,654). Measures included frequency of contact with social network (objective isolation), the Hughes Loneliness Scale (loneliness), a modified version of the Cook-Medley Hostility Inventory (cynical hostility), and a modified version of the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (cognitive function). Multilevel modeling (random slope + intercept) was used to examine the association between these factors and trajectories of cognitive function.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: After controlling for demographic characteristics, self-reported health, and functional limitations, loneliness (β = -.34, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [-0.56, -0.11), and cynical hostility (β = -.14, 95% CI = [-0.24, -0.04) correlated with lower cognitive function, but none predicted change in cognitive function. Objective social isolation was associated with lower cognitive function (β = -.27, 95% CI = [-0.41, -0.12]) and steeper decline in cognitive function (β = -.09, 95% CI = [-0.16, -0.01]).

%B Journal of Aging and Health %G eng %1 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30289338?dopt=Abstract %R 10.1177/0898264318800587 %0 Journal Article %J International Journal of Behavioral Medicine %D 2020 %T Sleep Disturbance Mediates the Association Between Loneliness and Health in Older Americans %A Sarah C. Griffin %A Samantha N Mladen %A Williams, Allison Baylor %A Dautovich, Natalie D. %A Lageman, Sarah K. %A Joseph M. Dzierzewski %A Paul B. Perrin %A Bruce D. Rybarczyk %K Aging %K health %K Loneliness %K Older Adults %K Sleep %X Background As the research documenting loneliness as a risk factor for morbidity and mortality continues to grow, it becomes increasingly critical to understand the mechanics of this relationship. This study assessed whether sleep disturbance mediates the relationship between loneliness and health. Method Data came from the 2006, 2010, and 2014 waves of the Health and Retirement Study, a longitudinal study of older Americans; participants ≥ 65 who completed the Psychosocial and Lifestyle Questionnaire in 2006 were included (n = 5067). Measures include the Hughes loneliness scales, a modified version of the Jenkins sleep scale, and self-reported health. Cross-lagged mediation models (i.e., path analysis) were used to model the relationships between loneliness, sleep disturbance, and self-reported health over the 8-year span. Results Loneliness predicted subsequent sleep disturbance, which in turn predicted subsequent self-reported health. Moreover, there was evidence of both direct and indirect effects (via sleep disturbance) of loneliness on self-reported health. These effects remained after controlling for demographics, isolation, and depression. Conclusion Sleep disturbance partially mediates the relationship between loneliness and self-reported health over 8 years. These findings are not attributable to isolation or depression. Further research is necessary to develop and assess a more comprehensive model of how loneliness shapes health. This study indicates that targeting sleep disturbance may mitigate the health risks of loneliness in older Americans. %B International Journal of Behavioral Medicine %@ 1532-7558 %G eng %! International Journal of Behavioral Medicine %R 10.1007/s12529-020-09897-2 %0 Journal Article %J Journal of Aging and Health %D 2019 %T Reciprocal Effects Between Loneliness and Sleep Disturbance in Older Americans. %A Sarah C. Griffin %A Williams, Allison Baylor %A Samantha N Mladen %A Paul B. Perrin %A Joseph M. Dzierzewski %A Bruce D. Rybarczyk %K health %K insomnia %K Loneliness %K Older Adults %K Sleep %X

To model the relationship between loneliness and sleep disturbance over time. : Data came from the Health and Retirement Study (2006, 2010, 2014 waves; age ≥ 65 years; = 5,067). Loneliness was measured via the Hughes Loneliness Scale and sleep disturbance via a four-item scale assessing sleep and restedness. Cross-lagged panel modeling (path analysis) was used to jointly examine reciprocal effects between loneliness and sleep disturbance. : Higher loneliness correlated with higher sleep disturbance at baseline. There was evidence of reciprocal effects between loneliness and sleep across timepoints. These associations overall remained when accounting for demographics, objective isolation, and depression. : Although causality cannot be established, the findings indicate that the relationship between loneliness and sleep disturbance is bidirectional. This requires revision to the current theory on sleep disturbance as a mechanism for the relationship between loneliness and health and indicates that effective treatment of sleep disturbance may reduce loneliness.

%B Journal of Aging and Health %G eng %R 10.1177/0898264319894486