Older adult's loneliness and death anxiety on affecting their quality of life: A cross-sectional descriptive correlational study

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Baljit Kaur Gill

Hong Kong Metropolitan University, Hong Kong

: J Nurs Patient Care

Abstract

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Nowadays, there are an increasing number of older adults in Hong Kong living alone, not getting enough social contact, leading to loneliness and death anxiety which are serious mental health challenges among elderly. The aim of this study is to assess the relationship between loneliness and death anxiety and the relationship between death anxiety and quality of life among older adults. A quantitative descriptive correlational cross-sectional design was adopted. Telephone survey sampling method was used due to health concerns arising from the pandemic development. The questionnaire consists of 4 parts, personal information and three instruments, which were The Chinese version of a Likert-type Templer Death Anxiety Scale (CL-TDAS) to measure the level of death anxiety, The Chinese version of the 3-item UCLA Loneliness Scale to measure the level of loneliness, and The Chinese Version of WHOQOL-BREF to measure the level of Quality of Life. There were total of 384 elderly participated in the study. A better understanding of the prevalence of death anxiety, and the relationship in between as well as death anxiety would positively correlate to loneliness and negatively affect their Quality of Life. Also, statistically significant group differences were found between the death anxiety level and presence of religious belief, received education, retirement, presence of household member and presence of chronic illness, thus, statistically significant correlations were found between the death anxiety level and number of children, financial income, family relationship and perceived social support, which build a foundation of the formulation of implications.

Biography

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Dr. Baljit Kaur Gill is an Associate Professor of “Hong Kong Metropolitan Univeristy” from Hong Kong. She had obtained her Bachelor of Science (Nursing) degree from Oxford Brookes University (UK). She had obtained two Master Degrees (Master of Science, Nursing) from Oxford Brookes University (UK) and (Master in Social Science in Gerontology) from The University of Hong Kong. She had also accomplished her Doctor of Philosophy within three and a half years from The University of Hong Kong. She serves as the editorial board and reviewer for multiple international journals. She have presented and published over 50 research studies/ articles. Her research interest covers Nursing Education, Simulation Based Education, Nurse Competence, Elderly Health and Care, Gerontechnology Applied in Health Care, Racial and Diversity, Ethnic Minority Health and Care, Healthy inequality.