Author's School

School of Medicine

ORCID

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2480-6151

Author's Department/Program

Nursing Science

Language

English (en)

Date of Award

Spring 5-15-2024

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Chair and Committee

Karla T. Washington

Committee Members

Amy McQueen, Judy Smith, Rachael Beard, Teri Boyd

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to better understand whether multi-level ecological factors, including sociodemographic characteristics, military-related characteristics, social support and community-level social vulnerability have an impact on Veteran loneliness. Methods: The study used a sample of Veterans over the age of 65 years old hospitalized at a Midwestern Veterans Health Administration Medical Center. A cross-sectional exploratory study was conducted using baseline data from an ongoing multisite clinical trial. Multiple regression models were used to analyze the relationships between Veteran loneliness and multi-level factors. Loneliness was measured using the 3-item UCLA Loneliness Scale. Results: Greater emotional/informational social support was a significant protective factor for loneliness, while living in an area with a high level of community social vulnerability was a significant risk factor for loneliness. The results also revealed that after adjusting for all other factors, no sociodemographic or military characteristics were found to be significantly associated with loneliness.

Conclusion: The results of the study provide a better understanding of multi-level factors that can impact Veteran loneliness. These results can inform future studies, which may benefit from using systems theory and system science methods to further explore the dynamic behavior and interaction of complex ecological systems and Veteran experiences and how they impact Veteran loneliness over time.

DOI

https://doi.org/10.48765/9vam-ee42

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Available for download on Friday, May 14, 2027

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