HEALTH AND PSYCHOSOCIAL RISKS OF UNENGAGED RESIDENTS IN LOW-INCOME INDEPENDENT LIVING COMMUNITIES

Sep 29, 2026

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Social engagement is a key determinant of health in older adults, yet many independent living residents remain unengaged despite available opportunities. Baseline data from a longitudinal wellness program study in low-income communities in Southwest Ohio assessed general health, quality of life, and psychosocial functioning. Among 119 adults (M=73.5), unengaged participants scored lower on SF–36 physical functioning, vitality, and emotional well-being and showed higher fall risk, with greater social isolation risk. Findings underscore the need to enhance engagement in wellness programming for older, low-income adults living independently.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages1

Reading Time3 min

AccessFree to download

Background

Study design and measures

Key findings and implications

Innovation in Aging, 2025, Vol. 9, No. S2 1235 Social engagement is a critical determinant of health in older adults, yet many residents of independent living communities remain unengaged despite available opportunities. We report baseline data from a longitudinal wellness program study of residents in low-income independent communities in Southwest Ohio. Assessments measured general health, quality of life, and psychosocial function. Participants (N = 119) were older adults (M=73.5, SD=8.6), primarily female (83.2%), African American (60 .5%), and with annual incomes below $25,000 (86%) . Quartile splits of the Social Engagement and Activities Questionnaire (SEAQ) were used to define engagement, with most participants (69.9%) classified as engaged. Compared to engaged peers, unengaged residents (31.1%) scored significantly lower on domains of physical functioning (M = –12.27, p = .020), vitality (–9.86, p = .016), and emotional well-being (–10.26, p = .013), on the SF–36 quality of life instrument, and had higher fall risk scores (M = 1.37, p = .035) on a fall risk assessment. Other SF-36 domains trended in the expected direction but were nonsignificant. Unengaged residents also showed nonsignificant trends toward greater loneliness scores (UCLA-3 Item) and healthcare utilization (annual hospital visits) . Examining social isolations using the Lubben Social Network Scale (LSNS-6), unengaged residents were nearly three times more likely to report social isolation than engaged residents (32.4% vs. 12.2%; OR = 3.46, 95% CI [1.33–8.98]) . Findings highlight the need to improve engagement in wellness programming of older low-income adults living independently. Abstract citation ID: igaf122.4129 HEALTH AND PSYCHOSOCIAL RISKS OF UNENGAGED RESIDENTS IN LOW-INCOME INDEPENDENT LIVING COMMUNITIES Jeremy Johnson1, Khalid Yusuf2, Emily Campbell1, Autumn Hart1, and Victor Ronis-Tobin1, 1. Xavier University, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, 2. University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States

FAQs

What problem does the study address about older adults in independent living communities?

It examines how social disengagement persists despite available opportunities and how it affects health and psychosocial outcomes.

Which outcomes were assessed for engagement differences?

The study assessed general health, quality of life using SF–36, psychosocial function, loneliness tendencies, fall risk, and social isolation using LSNS-6.

How did unengaged residents differ from engaged residents?

Unengaged residents had significantly lower SF–36 physical functioning, vitality, and emotional well-being, higher fall risk scores, and were nearly three times more likely to report social isolation.

Sep 29, 2026

Upload by Mabel