Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32958076›Full record

Trial reportBMC geriatrics2020

Effectiveness of a peer-based intervention on loneliness and social isolation of older Chinese immigrants in Canada: a randomized controlled trial.

Daniel W L Lai, Jia Li, Xiaoting Ou, Celia Y P Li

Open access · goldAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in BMC geriatrics, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 46 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
46citing papers in PubMed, 5 pooled it
5.3field-weighted citation impact, top 3% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

46 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 99 citations in OpenAlex.

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  15. The Role of Technology Use in the Context of Social Isolation Among Immigrant Older Adults.The Canadian journal of nursing research = Revue canadienne de recherche en sciences infirmieres · 2025
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Daniel W L LaiFaculty of Social Sciences, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China. daniel_lai@hkbu.edu.hk.ORCID 0000-0001-6365-3189
Jia LiDepartment of Applied Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China.
Xiaoting OuDepartment of Applied Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China.
Celia Y P LiThe Calgary Chinese Elderly Citizens' Association, Calgary, Canada.
Hong Kong Polytechnic University · HKBC Non-Profit Housing Association · CAHong Kong Baptist University · HK

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSocial isolation is a key concern for immigrant older adults. We examined the effectiveness of a peer-based intervention in reducing loneliness, social isolation, and improving psychosocial well-being with a sample of aging Chinese immigrants.

methodsSixty community-dwelling older Chinese immigrants aged 65 and older were randomly assigned to an intervention group and a control group (n = 30 each) in a randomized control parallel trial design. Intervention group participants received an eight-week peer support intervention. Twenty-four volunteers aged 48 to 76 engaged in two-on-one peer support through home visits and telephone calls to provide emotional support, problem-solving support, and community resource sharing. Social workers who are not blinded to the group assignment measured the changes of both the intervention group and the control group participants in a range of psychosocial outcomes including three primary outcomes (loneliness, social support, barriers to social participation) and five secondary outcomes (depressive symptoms, anxiety, life satisfaction, happiness, and purpose in life).

resultsThe 30 intervention group participants showed a statistically significant decrease in loneliness and increase in resilience when compared to the 30 control group participants. They reported fewer barriers to social participation, fewer depressive symptoms, increased life satisfaction, and happiness while no such improvements were observed in the control group.

conclusionsThere is a need to further examine the use of peer-based interventions for both program effectiveness and delivery efficiency. In the era of population aging and increasing immigration, diverse aging adults can be trained to fill volunteer support roles via peer-based intervention approaches.

trial registrationISRCTN, ISRCTN14572069 , Registered 23 December 2019 - Retrospectively registered.

Indexed as

Emigrants and ImmigrantsLonelinessAgedAsian PeopleCanadaHumansQuality of LifeSocial IsolationSocial SupportChinese aging immigrantsLonelinessPeer-based interventionRandomized controlled trialsSocial isolationSocial participation

Identifiers

PMID32958076
PMCPMC7507625
OpenAlexW3087197505

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.