Santa Cruz De La Palma

Researchers are evaluating the impact of a multidimensional community-based intervention on feelings of unwanted loneliness among people over 65 years old who live alone and are socially isolated or at social risk on La Palma island. The study focuses on how loneliness affects physical health, depression, blood pressure, sleep, immune response, cognition, and overall health habits in older adults. It also aims to reduce loneliness and improve health management through social and behavioral support. The intervention, called Compartiendo Salud, is a behavioral program consisting of five workshops held over one week, each lasting 2.5 hours. These sessions use engaging and participatory methods like games to promote learning and social interaction. The workshops cover sleep hygiene, healthy eating habits, physical activity and exercise, memory and music therapy, and digital literacy. This is a quasi-experimental study with measurements taken before and three months after the intervention, without a control group or randomization. Participants will be assessed before and after the intervention for feelings of unwanted loneliness and other factors such as social risk, social support, anxiety or depression, smoking, alcoholism, sleep problems, caregiver presence, group belonging, integration in their living area, leisure activities, and home-based care. The study tracks changes in these aspects to understand the programs effects. Total participation spans the intervention week plus a three-month follow-up period for post-intervention evaluations.