老年人, 孤独感, 躯体生命质量, 宿命论, 抑郁

This study aims to explore the longitudinal impact of loneliness on physical health-related quality of life among older adults and to investigate the mechanism. A total of 276 elderly people in Guangdong Province were recruited at baseline and were followed up 9 months later. Participants were assessed using the physical health subscale of Medical Outcomes Study 12-item Short-form Health Survey, UCLA Loneliness Scale, FATE Scale, and Patient Health Questionnaire Scale. The results showed that: (1) Loneliness negatively predicted the elderly’s physical health-related quality of life over time; (2) Fatalism moderated the concurrent relationship between loneliness and physical health-related quality of life, and low fatalism could buffer the concurrent negative impact of loneliness on physical health-related quality of life; (3) Depression completely mediated the longitudinal relationship between loneliness and long-term physical health-related quality of life. The results of this study provide longitudinal evidence for the relationship between loneliness and physical health-related quality of life, and are salutary for the improvement of physical health function and the promotion of active aging.