Gender differences in loneliness, anger, depression, self-management ability and biomarkers of chronic illness in chronically ill mid-life adults in Appalachia

This study describes gender differences and relationships among loneliness, anger, depression, self-management ability and biomarkers of chronic illness in chronically ill mid-life adults in Appalachia. Loneliness predicts poor health, functional decline, and mortality in adults. Though self-management ability is linked to improved health outcomes, a gap existed when examining how loneliness impacts self-management ability (SMA). This cross-sectional study recruited 90 patients from a primary care center. Instruments measured loneliness, anger, depression, and SMA. Measures were taken for BMI, blood pressure, and glucose. Descriptive and hierarchical multiple regression was used to test hypotheses. Participants were majority female (68%), white (89%), married (52%), employed (66%), and impoverished (70%). They were moderately lonely (M = 41.29, SD 12.13) and men were lonelier than women (p