Connection Matters
Connection Matters
Joy Stepinski, MSN, RN-BC
February 13, 2023
One lesson Dan Buettner described in The Blue Zones is that of connecting with others. Establishing regular time to gather with friends and family was a central activity of centenarians. In Okinawa Japan, a social support group was called moai, or a meeting for a common purpose. Originating as a village financial support system if someone experienced an urgent need, the moai expanded to also include a social support network. Buettner witnessed this gathering of five older adults bonding in their friendship through gossiping and joking, an aspect that contributed to their longevity.
In fact, several research articles review the importance of social connection. When people feel lonely, experience isolation, and perceive that they have limited number of social contacts, basic social needs are not fulfilled. These needs are imperative for emotional and social connectedness. Furthermore, loneliness and isolation can have a direct impact on physical and emotional health. According to Hajek and König [2], this unfilled need may contribute to morbidity and mortality. Loneliness is associated with disorders, such as diabetes, autoimmune disease, cardiovascular disease, obesity, cancer, poor aging, depression, sleep problems, and alcohol abuse [3].
Hajek and König [2] explored feelings of social isolation in Germany during the Covid-19 pandemic. Using an online survey of adults over age 17 (n = 3075), people responded to queries demonstrating loneliness, perceived social isolation, and objective social isolation (limited number of social contacts). The results showed that 83.4% of respondents experienced loneliness, 59.1% perceived social isolation, and 28.9% had objective social isolation. The authors expressed that this data adds to knowledge that loneliness can lead to increased anxiety and depression, especially among youth.
On the other end of the age spectrum, the lonely older adult may be at higher risk for dementia. A study in the UK [4] followed participants (n = 462,619) with an average age of 57 for approximately 12 years. The study purpose was to investigate associations between loneliness and dementia. The authors measured subjective feelings of loneliness using a scale. The findings showed a 1.26-fold increase of dementia among people who were socially isolated and concluded that there seems to be a positive association. A previous study reported that social isolation may lead to an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease, although not necessarily related to pathological findings [5].
According to psychiatrist Dr. Caroline Leaf, one cause for feeling lonely may lie in the readily accessible modern technology of social media and email [6]. Although technology provides means for communication, it can also lead to disconnection from in-person interactions with friends and neighbors. She recommends developing a “community mindset” to not only help oneself against feelings of loneliness, but others, too. Some tips are: have meaningful discussions with friends and family by sharing and listening without judgment; volunteer at local organizations; limit technology and find time to interact face-to-face; get out of the house and arrange meetups; be friendly even to strangers; and be proactive by reaching out to others when feeling lonely.
The sense of community is embedded in the Blue Zones, too. In Sardinia, Italy, there was a deep reverence for family; the Okinawans had the moai; Seventh-Day Adventists gathered after religious services; the Costa Ricans in the Nicoya Peninsula held a strong sense of service to others; and in Ikaria, Greece people enjoyed each other’s company. The wisdom these centenarians imparted on gathering together is essential to well-being.
Connection is at the core of being human. This human need contributes profoundly to the whole picture on health.
1. Buettner, D. (2012). The Blue Zones (2nd ed.). National Geographic Partners, LLC.
2. Hajek, A., & König, H. H. (2022). Prevalence and correlates of loneliness, perceived and objective social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Evidence from a representative survey in Germany. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 1-10. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00127-022-02295-x
3. Mushtaq, R., Shoib, S., Shah, T., & Mushtaq, S. (2014). Relationship between loneliness, psychiatric disorders and physical health? A review on the psychological aspects of loneliness. Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research, 8(9), WE01–WE4. https://doi.org/10.7860/JCDR/2014/10077.4828
4. Shen, C., Rolls, E. T., Cheng, W., Kang, J., Dong, G., Xie, C., ... & Feng, J. (2022). Associations of social isolation and loneliness with later dementia. Neurology, 99(2), e164-e175. https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0000000000200583
5. Wilson, R. S., Krueger, K. R., Arnold, S. E., Schneider, J. A., Kelly, J. F., Barnes, L. L., ... & Bennett, D. A. (2007). Loneliness and risk of Alzheimer disease. Archives of General Psychiatry, 64(2), 234-240. https://doi.org/10.1001/archpsyc.64.2.234
6. Leaf, C. (2019). The loneliness epidemic. Dr. Leaf. https://drleaf.com/blogs/news/the-loneliness-epidemic?_pos=1&_sid=65a5bb1a6&_ss=r