A pilot study investigating the social contact patterns of Korean elderly

Objectives: This pilot study describes the characteristics of social contact patterns of the elderly, a group at high-risk for contracting infections. Design: A cross-sectional design was used. Sample: Participants included 30 volunteers aged 65 years or older. Measurements: Records of a contact diary were maintained for a period of 24-hr. Results: Thirty participants recorded 340 contacts within the 24 hr period, with a mean of 11.3 people daily. Physical encounters accounted for 50.9% of contacts. Participants with an occupation had significantly higher contacts than those without (p=.013). Contact type differed by location and duration (p<.001). Contact locations included: home (11.5%), work (2.4%), elderly welfare facilities (32.9%), transport (1.2%), and other places (52.1%). Contact duration (p <.001) and frequency (p <.001) differed by location. Contact duration differed by frequency (p <.001). Conclusions: The elderly participate in frequent physical contact that increases their risk of infection, especially among those with an occupation in comparison to those without an occupation. Infection control nursing should focus on providing education to reduce the risk of infections during contact events. Social distancing should be applied to limited periods of infection transmission risk.