Abstract Rationale Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD) is a life-altering diagnosis associated with high morbidity and mortality. While social isolation and loneliness are known risk factors for poor outcomes in chronic diseases, the specific burden of social disconnectedness remains understudied in ILD. Providing truly comprehensive, holistic care for patients with ILD requires a deeper understanding of their social context. This study directly addresses this gap by aiming to quantify the prevalence of social isolation and loneliness in ILD and identify the contributing risk factors. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional survey of adults with ILD recruited from the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation Community Registry. Loneliness was determined by the UCLA 3-Item Loneliness Scale (UCLA), and social isolation was determined by the Lubben Social Network Scale (LSNS)-6. Pre-hypothesized risk factors include demographics, clinical characteristics (supplemental oxygen use, fatigue severity), and social characteristics (community engagement, maintaining friendships). Descriptive statistics were utilized to describe prevalence, and associations between risk factors and loneliness/social isolation were examined using chi-square tests and multivariable logistic regression. Results Participants (n = 170) were predominantly female (59%), White (92%), and retired (72%). Loneliness (UCLA≥6) affected 50% (n = 85) and social isolation (LSNS≤12) 43% (n = 74). The two were moderately correlated (r = 0.43, p 0.001). Women were at significantly greater risk for loneliness (66% vs. 29% in men, p 0.001). Eighty-three percent of participants with no high school education reported loneliness, compared to 38% of those with college degrees (p = 0.039). Loneliness scores were higher for oxygen users, those screening positive for depression, dyspnea severity, and fatigue (Figure 1). Participants who reported difficulty maintaining friendships and low community engagement were more likely to experience loneliness and isolation (p 0.005). In multivariable logistic regression models adjusting for demographic, clinical, and social factors, loneliness was independently associated with female gender (OR = 2.96, 95% CI 1.33-6.59, p = 0.008) and difficulty maintaining friendships (OR = 2.96, p 0.001). In contrast, higher education was protective from social isolation (OR 0.71, p = 0.002) and greater difficulty maintaining friendships was significantly associated with loneliness (OR 1.75, p = 0.015). Conclusion Social isolation and loneliness are highly prevalent among individuals living with ILD. Psychosocial variables demonstrated the strongest independent associations, followed by symptom severity. Loneliness reflected how connected individuals felt to others, whereas social isolation was influenced by structural and demographic circumstances. Improving screening is essential to better identify at-risk individuals, with future studies needed to examine the impact on patient outcomes and facilitators for reducing social disconnection to inform patient-centered interventions. This abstract is funded by: NIH K23 HL163394
Tharakan et al. (Fri,) studied this question.