Elderly individuals living by themselves: knowledge and measures to prevent the novel coronavirus.
Darlene Mara Dos Santos Tavares, Nayara Gomes Nunes Oliveira, Gianna Fiori Marchiori and 2 others
PMID 33174993WHAT IT FOUND
Older adults living alone reported knowing 3.98 of 17 preventive measures, despite 98.3% being aware.
Men, those 80 or older, and less educated had poor knowledge.
Key findings
01Most participants were aware of preventive measures, but they reported knowing 3.98 of 17 measures on average.
02After social distancing began, 85.7% of participants left home and reported following 2.58 preventive measures on average.
03Male sex, age 80 or older, and lower schooling were associated with poor knowledge of preventive measures.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study is cross-sectional, so the associations cannot show that sex, age, or schooling caused poor knowledge. Only people with a landline or mobile phone could be included, so older adults without a phone were not represented. Of 279 eligible individuals, 134 were not found and 8 refused, leaving 123 participants. Knowledge and preventive measures were self-reported by telephone. The knowledge tool was developed by the authors and tested with ten acquaintances. Only two participants reported signs or symptoms of COVID-19.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the high awareness as evidence of good protection. The participants reported knowing 3.98 of 17 preventive measures and following 2.58 after leaving home.