Unravelling the complexity of the relationship between social support sources and loneliness: A mixed-methods study with older adults.

Loneliness is an increasingly significant social and public health issue in contemporary societies. The available evidence suggests that social support is one of the key psychosocial processes for the reduction and prevention of loneliness. This study investigated the role played by sources of social support in the experience of social and emotional loneliness, identifying seven sources of support split between family (spouse/partner, children, grandchildren, siblings) and non-family (friends, neighbours).

Evaluation of Serological Tests for Different Disease Stages of Leptospirosis Infection in Humans.

Background/objectives: Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease that is widely distributed around the world and presents symptoms similar to other febrile illnesses in tropical regions, which complicates clinical diagnosis. This study aimed to evaluate the performance and agreement between serological diagnostic tests for detecting both acute and convalescent human leptospirosis, using the micro agglutination test (MAT) as a reference in an endemic region of the Colombian Caribbean.

Methods: A prospective descriptive study was conducted on 275 participants with suspected leptospirosis.

[Prevalence of loneliness among older people living in rural areas. Differences by ethnic group and predictor variables].

Background: Loneliness is one of the most recurrent public health problems in older people. However, there is little data available in Chile on its prevalence in people over 60 years of age living in rural areas and belonging to native or Afro-descendant groups.

Aim: To examine the prevalence of loneliness among older people living in rural areas by ethnic group and to analyze the socio-demographic, family, and health variables related to loneliness.

Association between gait speed deterioration and EEG abnormalities.

Physical and cognitive decline at an older age is preceded by changes that accumulate over time until they become clinically evident difficulties. These changes, frequently overlooked by patients and health professionals, may respond better than fully established conditions to strategies designed to prevent disabilities and dependence in later life. The objective of this study was twofold; to provide further support for the need to screen for early functional changes in older adults and to look for an early association between decline in mobility and cognition.

Associated factors for fear of COVID-19 scale in long-term care settings in Spain.

Objective: To examine the relationship between the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) score and sociodemographic, health, emotional and behavioural factors, in a cross-sectional observational study in 447 older adults living in long-term care (LTC) settings in Madrid (Spain).

Methods: The sample was stratified by nursing home ownership, geographical location, and size. Multiple linear regression analysis was used using backward elimination to identify factors that explained associations with fear, and logistic regression models were used to examine its role as a predictor of adherence to preventive measures.