Date Presented 04/04/2025
Loneliness is a pervasive problem for people with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Even people with PD who participated in group exercise classes experience loneliness (33.19%), and loneliness is a significant contributor to variance in quality of life.
Primary Author and Speaker: Laura A. Swink
Additional Authors and Speakers: Katie Pritchard
Contributing Authors: Laura A. Swink, Dominic Diprinzio, Katie Pritchard, Jodi Brown, Delisa Novak, Cory L. Christiansen, Mark Manago
PURPOSE: To explore loneliness in individuals with Parkinson’s disease (PD) participating in community-based group exercise classes, compare differences in secondary outcomes (demographic factors, functional indepdence, mobility) between loneliness groups (‘Not Lonely’ vs. ‘Lonely’), and identify the contributions of loneliness and secondary outcomes to quality of life.
DESIGN: This was a cross-sectional analysis of data collected from a community organization providing group exercise classes to people with PD.
METHOD: Community-based exercise class participants attended exercise classes and completed self-report (demographics, loneliness [Three-Item Loneliness Scale], functional independence [Schwab & England Scale], quality of life [Parkinson’s Disease Questionnaire 8]) and performance-based (mobility [Timed Up & Go]) assessments. Data were assessed for assumptions and analyzed descriptively, and inferenetially using t-tests or U-tests, and multiple linear regression with backwards selection.
RESULTS: Of the participants (n = 226), 33.18% scored in the ‘Lonely’ group (>4/9). Variables that were significantly different between loneliness groups included: sex (p = .02), functional independence (p <.01), mobility (p = .02), and quality of life (p <.01). The final regression model for quality of life included: age, functional independence, and loneliness, together accounting for 58.6% of the variance in quality of life.
CONCLUSION: Loneliness remains pervasive for people with PD who are community-based group exercisers, and is one of the significant contributors to variance in quality of life in this group.
IMPACT STATEMENT: Occupational therapy practitioners are the ideal discipline to identify (with low burden assessments) and address loneliness through promotion of social participation. Even for people with PD engaged in the community, additional work must be done to address loneliness, and the corresponding impact on quality of life.
References
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Prell, T., Schönenberg, A., & Heimrich, K. G. (2023). The impact of loneliness on quality of life in people with Parkinson’s disease: results from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe. Frontiers in Medicine, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2023.1183289
