Social Isolation

A Predictor of Mortality Comparable to Traditional Clinical Risk Factors

Bibliographic Data

ID11025960
AuthorsMatthew Pantell (At the time of the study, Matthew Pantell was with the University of California, Berkeley–University of California, San Francisco Joint Medical Program, San Francisco. David Rehkopf is with the Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA. Douglas Jutte and S. Leonard Syme are with the School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley. John Balmes is with the School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, and the School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco....), Matthew S Pantell (0000-0002-2104-5553, University of California System), D H Rehkopf (0000-0002-7597-6513, At the time of the study, Matthew Pantell was with the University of California, Berkeley–University of California, San Francisco Joint Medical Program, San Francisco. David Rehkopf is with the Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA. Douglas Jutte and S. Leonard Syme are with the School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley. John Balmes is with the School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, and the School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco....), David Rehkopf, Douglas P Jutte (University of California System), Douglas Jutte (At the time of the study, Matthew Pantell was with the University of California, Berkeley–University of California, San Francisco Joint Medical Program, San Francisco. David Rehkopf is with the Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA. Douglas Jutte and S. Leonard Syme are with the School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley. John Balmes is with the School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, and the School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco....), Leonard Syme (0000-0003-2373-0666, University of California System), S Leonard Syme (At the time of the study, Matthew Pantell was with the University of California, Berkeley–University of California, San Francisco Joint Medical Program, San Francisco. David Rehkopf is with the Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA. Douglas Jutte and S. Leonard Syme are with the School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley. John Balmes is with the School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, and the School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco....), John Balmes (At the time of the study, Matthew Pantell was with the University of California, Berkeley–University of California, San Francisco Joint Medical Program, San Francisco. David Rehkopf is with the Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA. Douglas Jutte and S. Leonard Syme are with the School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley. John Balmes is with the School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, and the School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco....), John R Balmes (0000-0002-2246-7002, University of California System), Nancy Adler (At the time of the study, Matthew Pantell was with the University of California, Berkeley–University of California, San Francisco Joint Medical Program, San Francisco. David Rehkopf is with the Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA. Douglas Jutte and S. Leonard Syme are with the School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley. John Balmes is with the School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, and the School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco....), Nancy J Adler (0000-0002-4251-3213, University of California System)
Year2013
Volume103
Issue11
Pages2056-2062
Publication date2013-11-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueAmerican Journal of Public Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0090-0036 • E-ISSN: 1541-0048
PublisherAmerican Public Health Association (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.2105/ajph.2013.301261
PMID24028260
PMCIDPMC3871270
OpenAlexW2137395749
LanguageEN
Citations received134
References cited26

Objectives. We explored the relationship between social isolation and mortality in a nationally representative US sample and compared the predictive power of social isolation with that of traditional clinical risk factors. Methods. We used data on 16 849 adults from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and the National Death Index. Predictor variables were 4 social isolation factors and a composite index. Comparison predictors included smoking, obesity, elevated blood pressure, and high cholesterol. Unadjusted Kaplan–Meier tables and Cox proportional hazards regression models controlling for sociodemographic characteristics were used to predict mortality. Results. Socially isolated men and women had worse unadjusted survival curves than less socially isolated individuals. Cox models revealed that social isolation predicted mortality for both genders, as did smoking and high blood pressure. Among men, individual social predictors included being unmarried, participating infrequently in religious activities, and lacking club or organization affiliations; among women, significant predictors were being unmarried, infrequent social contact, and participating infrequently in religious activities. Conclusions. The strength of social isolation as a predictor of mortality is similar to that of well-documented clinical risk factors. Our results suggest the importance of assessing patients’ level of social isolation

Body mass index · Confidence interval · Hazard ratio · National Death Index · Obesity · Proportional hazards model · Psychiatry · Social isolation · Social support · Cardiac Health and Mental Health · Demography · Health disparities and outcomes · Internal Medicine · Medicine · Psychology · Social Capital and Networks · Social Psychology · Gerontology

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