If You Are a Senior Who Lives Alone, be Careful of Your Dietary Vitamin Intake: Study Cautions - Video

Older adults in the UK who are socially isolated are more likely to have an insufficient intake of key micronutrients such as vitamin C and vitamin B6, increasing their risk of health problems, according to a new study led by University College London researchers.

The study, published in the journal Age and Ageing, looked at data from 3,713 people in the UK aged 50 and over who filled in a detailed questionnaire about what they ate and drank on two separate days. The researchers found that people who were more socially isolated were more likely to have a lower than recommended intake of five micronutrients that are essential for health: magnesium, potassium, vitamin C, folate and vitamin B6.

These micronutrients are typically found in small quantities in fruit, vegetables, legumes and fish, suggesting a diet lacking in these food sources.

Lead author Professor Andrew Steptoe (UCL Behavioural Science & Health) said: “Our study shows that people who are more socially isolated are less likely to be getting enough micronutrients in their diet. This is important as inadequate intake of these micronutrients puts people at greater risk of health problems as they get older.

“One explanation for this link is that if you are more isolated, you might not have others around you to provide information about what is healthy and encourage a more varied diet. Older people also tend to stick to diets they know and might not vary their foods as much as they used to.”

For the study, researchers used data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA), in which a nationally representative population sample in England answers a wide range of questions every two years. The respondents were scored on how socially isolated they were, based on whether they lived alone, how frequently they saw friends and relatives outside their household, and whether they took part in any clubs or organizations.

The research team found that a one-point increase in participants’ social isolation score was linked to a higher likelihood of inadequate intake of five out of nine key micronutrients two years later. The intake of the nine micronutrients was estimated based on the information given in the dietary questionnaire.

The team adjusted for many factors that may have affected the results, including age, gender, education, marital status, food insecurity and impaired daily living, finding the link held true regardless of these.

Overall, the researchers found a striking number of respondents had vitamin and mineral intake that was lower than recommended.

Social isolation was not linked to a higher likelihood of inadequate calcium, iron and vitamin B12, micronutrients largely derived from meat, eggs and dairy.