Later Life Food Insecurity and Social Isolation in Ghana: The Importance of Psychological Factors.

Background: Social isolation (SI) and food insecurity (FI) are important social determinants of health that can negatively impact well-being in old age. While research on the association between FI and SI is limited in LMICs, the mediators of this association are largely unknown. This cross-sectional study examined whether FI is associated with SI among older adults in Ghana and whether psychological factors (i.

Cross-sectional association of food insecurity with loneliness in older adults: The role of sex, age, and psychosomatic factors.

Objective: Food insecurity (FI) is a critical social determinant of poor psychosocial health. While data on the specific roles of sex and age in the FI-loneliness link among older adults are limited, the underlying mechanisms are largely unknown. This study examines the age-sex-specific associations of FI with loneliness among older adults in Ghana and quantifies the extent to which psychosomatic factors mediate the association.

Risk of Sleep Problems in Middle-Aged and Older Adults Experiencing Bodily Pains: Serial Multiple Mediation Estimates of Emotional Distress and Activity Limitations.

Objectives: Pain is increasingly becoming common among middle-aged and older adults. While research on the association between pain characteristics and sleep problems (SP) is limited in low- and middle-income countries, the underlying mechanisms of the association are poorly understood. This study examines the association of bodily pain intensity and pain interference with SP and investigates the mediating role of activity limitation and emotional distress in this association.

Meeting the WHO Physical Activity Guidelines is Associated With Lower Odds of Depression in Older Adults: Potential Psychosomatic Mechanisms.

Objectives: Limited data exist on the association between physical activity (PA) and depression in older adults from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). In this study, we examine the association between meeting the World Health Organization (WHO) PA guidelines and depression in adults aged ≥50 years in Ghana and investigate the psychosomatic factors explaining this association.

Methods: Cross-sectional data from the Aging, Health, Psychological Well-being, and Health-seeking Behavior Study in Ghana (2016-18) were analyzed.