코로나19 팬데믹 기간 동안 농촌 지역 노인들의 삶의 변화와 외로움 경험에 대한 질적연구

Experiences of Life Changes and Loneliness among Rural Older Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study

Purpose: This study aimed to understand and explore the experiences and meanings of life changes and loneliness caused by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) among older people living in rural areas. Methods: This study adopted an individual interview approach. A total of 33 older adults were interviewed using semi-structured questions between October and December; 2020. The collected data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: Four main themes and ten sub-themes emerged. One main theme was “the never-ending anxiety of a changed world”, the second theme was “disconnecting from the world through social distancing”, the third theme was “working to overcome COVID-19”, and forth “health is the most important thing in life.” Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, we confirmed the urgent need for psycho-social support to relieve loneliness and social isolation of older people in rural areas during the spread of infectious diseases.