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Abstract
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the most widespread, costliest, yet preventable chronic health condition in the U.S. Reports show the national statistics of CVD related deaths outnumber deaths from all other chronic health conditions and are disproportionately seen among older adults. Previous research suggests that loneliness is directly linked to inflammation which significantly increases the risk for developing CVD. Previous intervention studies demonstrated that mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) programs decrease loneliness among healthy populations, but few studies employed a MBSR intervention to decrease loneliness and improve self-efficacy among older adults with CVD. This pilot study, utilized a one group pretest posttest pre-experimental design, to assess the feasibility and test whether an online MBSR intervention can impact loneliness and self-efficacy among older adults age 50 and older who are diagnosed with CVD. A sample of older adults (N=25) participated in the online MBSR either exclusively online (n=5) or in an assisted living facility (n=20). All participants were required to complete questionnaires and view videos for at least 60 minutes with optional meditation and readings. Results indicated the average video viewing times (87 minutes) with little to no meditation and reading. The univariate analyses, paired sample t-tests, and one-way analysis of variance conducted on the pre/post outcomes measures of loneliness and self-efficacy were not statistically significant. Future research should continue to assess the feasibility by exploring the essential treatment components and dosage for an effective MBSR intervention as well as various platforms for implementation in order to enhance acceptability of such programs targeting older adults with CVD.