Alleviating Loneliness in Older Adults Living in Poverty: A Multi-level Intervention

Summary

The study aims to reduce loneliness among Hong Kong Chinese older adults living in poverty with a multi-level intervention involving components at the individual, interpersonal, and community levels.

Conditions

• Loneliness
• Poverty

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Individual Level

A 8-weekly, 1hour telephone-delivered sessions using mindfulness and SOLUS-D program. Key contents include: introduction to mindfulness - Body awareness and present moment experiences, emotional awareness and mind-body labeling, relaxation techniques and sensory discrimination, deepening awareness and accepting feelings, personal values, interconnection between thought patterns and emotions, identifying and analyzing of thought traps, and challenging thoughts and future planning. Maintenance sessions which focus on embedding mindfulness practices and SOLUS-D program among older adults as a persistent habit will be conducted.

BEHAVIORAL

Interpersonal Level

A 8 weekly, 1hr sessions through telephone or Zoom using the Group 4 Health. Key contents include: understanding the benefits of social connections, exploring self and community, community and action, support and breakthrough, summary and moving forward. Maintenance sessions which focus on continuous practice of support and community will be conducted.

BEHAVIORAL

Community Level

A 4 weekly, 2hour in-person sessions through (1) strengthening collective efficacy via neighbor identification with the community. Key contents include: building neighbourhood connections, getting to know each other, health aging, neighbourhood care, vibrant exploration, thriving community, connecting the dots.

OTHER

Education Control

Monthly monthly messages via text, graphics or voice recordings will be sent over a period of 6 months. Key content includes: healthy diet tips, recognizing warning signs of health, understanding dementia, fall prevention tips, health message, and anti-fraud tips.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University College, London

  collaborator OTHER

• The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

  collaborator OTHER

• University of Texas at Austin

  collaborator OTHER

• Australian National University

  collaborator OTHER

• The University of Hong Kong

  collaborator OTHER

• Medical School Berlin

  collaborator OTHER

• Chinese University of Hong Kong

  collaborator OTHER

• University of Bern

  collaborator OTHER

• Linkoeping University

  collaborator OTHER_GOV

• Education University of Hong Kong

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Kee Lee Chou, PhD · The Education University of Hong Kong

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

DOUBLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

65 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2026-04-01

Primary Completion

2029-05-31

Completion

2029-05-31

Countries

• Hong Kong

Study Locations