Neighborly relations and self-neglect in older adults living alone: a cross-sectional study in rural areas of Southwest China

ObjectivesThis study aims to examine the association between neighborly relations and self-neglect.MethodsWe used the Scale of the Elderly Self-neglect to measure elder self-neglect. Logistic regression was used to examine the association between neighborly relations and self-neglect and its' phenotypes.ResultsAfter adjusting for potential confounders, the risk of overall self-neglect among individuals with harmonious neighbor relationships significantly decreased by 79.2%. In comparison to elderly individuals living alone with poor neighbor relationships, those with harmonious connections experienced a 77.6% reduction in the risk of medical self-neglect, an 89.9% decrease in the risk of hygiene self-neglect, a 65.1% decline in the risk of emotional self-neglect, a 77.9% drop in the risk of safety self-neglect, and a 56.8% lower risk of social self-neglect.ConclusionThis study highlights harmonious neighborly relations are an independent protector factor for self-neglect. Fostering neighborly relations might be a practical approach to mitigating self-neglect.