Korean J Occup Health Nurs.  2009 Nov;18(2):185-193.

Loneliness and Life Satisfaction in Pneumoconiosis Patients Hospitalized in Long-term Care Facilities

• Bae M
• Choo J
• Han KS

Abstract

PURPOSE
Loneliness may be a typical psychological consideration in chronically ill patients, linking with low life satisfaction. We aimed to determine if loneliness would be independently associated with life satisfaction in pneumoconiosis patients hospitalized in long-term care facilities.
METHODS
We recruited 164 patients from 3 pneumoconiosis-specialized hospitals in M and S cities, South Korea, and measured loneliness and life satisfaction by using the University of California Los Angeles loneliness and life satisfaction index-Z scales. The Multiple regression analysis was performed to examine an independent association between loneliness and life satisfaction after adjustment for age, the levels of dyspnea and bronchitisemphysema symptom, length of institutionalization, marital status, previous coal work experience, perceived socioeconomic status, and presence of caregivers.
RESULTS
The mean of loneliness was 46.4. We found a significant association between loneliness and life satisfaction (standardized beta=-0.16, p=0.049), independent of all the covariates.
Conclusions
Loneliness was an independent associate of life satisfaction in patients with pneumoconiosis who were institutionalized in long-term care facilities. Thus, a nursing intervention strategy for relieving loneliness is needed to increase life satisfaction in these patients.

Keyword

Pneumoconiosis; Loneliness; Life satisfaction

MeSH Terms

California
Caregivers
Chronic Disease
Coal
Dyspnea
Humans
Institutionalization
Loneliness
Long-Term Care
Los Angeles
Marital Status
Pneumoconiosis
Republic of Korea
Social Class
Weights and Measures
Coal