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The aim of this paper is to investigate the association between structural and cognitive aspects of social capital and self-rated health among adults aged 50 or more, living in three countries: Finland, Poland and Spain. The study, which was based on data from the European Social Survey (2008/09), was a part of the EU research project COURAGE in Europe. More specifically the paper assesses the association between social capital indicators – informal social network and general trust – and good self-rated health through single-level and joint effects analyses. The results showed that Finland was a country of high social capital, in terms of both social networks and general trust, while Spain showed low levels of general trust and Poland low levels of informal social networks. As to the association between social capital and self-rated health, high levels of general trust and high networks were found to be associated with good health among all countries' respondents. Older persons living in partnerships, with higher education, higher levels of engagement in informal networks and general trust, were found to be more likely to show good self-rated health. Our comparative analyses revealed different associations between social capital and health according to country. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: Poor sleep quality is prevalent in older people and impairs their quality of life. Various studies show an association between sleep disorders and altered levels of inflammatory cytokines. The cytokine IL-1β has been shown to display both somnogenic and insomnia-promoting effects in experimental animals. Objectives: to evaluate the relationship between insomnia and salivary IL-1β concentration and the role of associated factors such as the symptoms of depression, use of hypnotics, intake of caffeinated beverages, smoking, and alcohol use in older individuals. An analytical, cross-sectional, observational research was carried out with a population of community-dwelling individuals over 60 years of age in Valencia (Spain). Sleep quality was measured with the Athens insomnia scale (AIS) and depressive symptoms with Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). Results: 287 individuals participated in the study (mean age 74.08 years (76.7% women). 41.5% of the participants had insomnia, 36.9% took drugs for sleep problems, and 32.4% had relevant depressive symptoms. There was a significant inverse correlation between the IL-1β and total AIS score (rho = −0.302, p < 0.001), the sleep difficulty subdomain (rho = −0.259, p < 0.001), and the daytime sleepiness subdomain (rho = −0.322, p < 0.001). No significant correlation was observed between GDS and salivary IL-1β concentration. The IL-1β concentration was significantly lower in individuals taking drugs for sleeping compared with those not taking those drugs (1.11 ± 0.09 and 1.48 ± 0.08, respectively; p = 0.001). Regarding the AIS score, there was no significant difference in marital status, smoking, or the number of cups of tea or cola drinks, but there was a significant association with alcohol intake (p = 0.019) and in the number of daily intakes of coffee (p = 0.030). The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis of IL-1β for diagnosis of moderate-severe insomnia showed an area under the curve (AUC) value of 0.78 (95% confidence interval 0.71–0.85). At the cut-off of 0.83 pg/µL of Il-1β, it had a sensitivity of 70.3% and a specificity of 69.8%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to analyse the effectiveness of a psychosocial intervention programme in preventing loneliness and increasing self‐efficacy and social participation among older women living alone in Spain. A sequential, nested experimental design was used, with a primary quantitative quasi‐experimental pre‐post study with a control group (CG) and a secondary qualitative study. A total of 48 women participated, and 34 of them (the experimental group, EG) received a 25‐hour psychosocial support intervention delivered by volunteers who focused on three aspects: conversation, attribution retraining and behavioural activation. The other women remained on the waiting list (CG = 14). The women (EG and CG) were all interviewed before and after the intervention and a follow‐up of the EG was performed at 6 months (N = 25). Semi‐structured interviews were used to collect sociodemographic and health‐related data, as well as data on satisfaction with the programme and its benefits. Validated instruments were used to collect data on the dependent variables (self‐efficacy in ageing, subjective social participation and loneliness). Quantitative and qualitative methods were used for data analysis. Compared to the pre‐test results, women in the EG improved their self‐efficacy in ageing (t‐test: −2.246; p: 0.031; d: 0.30), and, more specifically, their self‐efficacy in managing socio‐emotional problems such as loneliness (t‐test: −1.995; p: 0.054; d: 0.25) and in managing their health (t‐test: −2.450; p: 0.020; d: 0.47). No significant differences were observed between the follow‐up and the post‐test results, meaning that the changes identified after the intervention remained stable. Four additional categories of benefits were identified in the participants' discourses. In conclusion, the intervention appears to be beneficial and effective in improving self‐efficacy, which is a well‐established predictor of loneliness in old age, in a group of vulnerable individuals. Further studies on this type of community intervention are necessary to prevent loneliness among older people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]