Laura Deckx1, Marjan van den Akker1,2, Mieke van Driel3, Paul Bulens4, Doris van Abbema5, Vivianne Tjan-Heijnen5, Cindy Kenis6, Eric T de Jonge7, Bert Houben8, Frank Buntinx1,2. 1. Department of General Practice, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium. 2. Department of Family Medicine, School CAPHRI, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands. 3. Discipline of General Practice, School of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia. 4. Limburgs Oncologisch Centrum, Hasselt, Belgium. 5. Department of Medical Oncology, School GROW, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands. 6. Department of General Medical Oncology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium. 7. Department of Gynaecology, Ziekenhuis Oost-Limburg, Genk, Belgium. 8. Department of Abdominal and Oncological Surgery, Jessa Hospital, Hasselt, Belgium.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: We studied the frequency and evolution of social and emotional loneliness in older cancer patients in comparison with younger cancer patients and older people without cancer. We evaluated if changes in common cancer-related and ageing-related problems such as fatigue, cognitive functioning and functional status contributed to the occurrence of loneliness. METHODS: This study was part of the KLIMOP study (Dutch acronym for project on older cancer patients in Belgium and the Netherlands) and included older (≥70 years) and younger cancer patients (50-69 years) and older people without cancer. Data were collected at baseline and 1-year follow-up. Loneliness was measured with the loneliness scale of De Jong-Gierveld. The relationship between loneliness after 1 year and changes in fatigue, cognitive functioning and functional status was tested in multivariate logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: Data were available for 475 participants. At baseline, older cancer patients were less lonely compared with older people without cancer. After 1 year, the frequency of emotional loneliness had significantly increased for older cancer patients (26-42%, p < 0.001) and had reached levels of older people without cancer. Emotional loneliness also increased for younger cancer patients (25-34%, p = 0.02), but not for older people without cancer (40-38%, p = 0.69). Frequency of social loneliness did not change significantly. People who were persistently fatigued and people who became or were persistently impaired on cognitive functioning were at increased risk of becoming lonely. CONCLUSION: Loneliness, in particular emotional loneliness, is a common problem in cancer patients, and its frequency changes considerably over time.
OBJECTIVES: We studied the frequency and evolution of social and emotional loneliness in older cancerpatients in comparison with younger cancerpatients and older people without cancer. We evaluated if changes in common cancer-related and ageing-related problems such as fatigue, cognitive functioning and functional status contributed to the occurrence of loneliness. METHODS: This study was part of the KLIMOP study (Dutch acronym for project on older cancerpatients in Belgium and the Netherlands) and included older (≥70 years) and younger cancerpatients (50-69 years) and older people without cancer. Data were collected at baseline and 1-year follow-up. Loneliness was measured with the loneliness scale of De Jong-Gierveld. The relationship between loneliness after 1 year and changes in fatigue, cognitive functioning and functional status was tested in multivariate logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: Data were available for 475 participants. At baseline, older cancerpatients were less lonely compared with older people without cancer. After 1 year, the frequency of emotional loneliness had significantly increased for older cancerpatients (26-42%, p < 0.001) and had reached levels of older people without cancer. Emotional loneliness also increased for younger cancerpatients (25-34%, p = 0.02), but not for older people without cancer (40-38%, p = 0.69). Frequency of social loneliness did not change significantly. People who were persistently fatigued and people who became or were persistently impaired on cognitive functioning were at increased risk of becoming lonely. CONCLUSION: Loneliness, in particular emotional loneliness, is a common problem in cancerpatients, and its frequency changes considerably over time.
Authors: Nam P Nguyen; Vincent Vinh-Hung; Brigitta Baumert; Alice Zamagni; Meritxell Arenas; Micaela Motta; Pedro Carlos Lara; Arthur Sun Myint; Marta Bonet; Tiberiu Popescu; Te Vuong; Gokula Kumar Appalanaido; Lurdes Trigo; Ulf Karlsson; Juliette Thariat Journal: Cancers (Basel) Date: 2020-05-19 Impact factor: 6.639
Authors: Claudia A Bargon; Marilot C T Batenburg; Lilianne E van Stam; Dieuwke R Mink van der Molen; Iris E van Dam; Femke van der Leij; Inge O Baas; Miranda F Ernst; Wiesje Maarse; Nieke Vermulst; Ernst J P Schoenmaeckers; Thijs van Dalen; Rhodé M Bijlsma; Danny A Young-Afat; Annemiek Doeksen; Helena M Verkooijen Journal: JNCI Cancer Spectr Date: 2020-11-05
Authors: Abdelbari Baitar; Frank Buntinx; Tine De Burghgraeve; Laura Deckx; Paul Bulens; Hans Wildiers; Marjan van den Akker Journal: BMC Health Serv Res Date: 2017-09-12 Impact factor: 2.655