Ezalina EZALINA, Deswinda DESWINDA
Florence Nightingale Journal of Nursing - 2026;34(1):1-10
AIM: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of SIAGA (Sistem Intervensi Anti-Kesepian untuk Geriatri), a culturally adapted Android application, in reducing loneliness among community-dwelling older adults in Indonesia. METHODS: A quasi-experimental study with a pre-test post-test non-equivalent control group design was conducted from June to July 2025 in Payung Sekaki District, Pekanbaru City, Indonesia. One hundred older adults (>=60 years) living with families were recruited through multistage cluster sampling and allocated to the intervention group (n = 50, receiving the SIAGA app with music, videos, stories, and cognitive games) or the control group (n = 50, standard care). The validated Indonesian UCLA Loneliness Scale Version 3 (19 items) was administered at baseline, two weeks, and four weeks post-intervention. Statistical analysis included independent t-tests and repeated-measures General Linear Model. RESULTS: Significant loneliness reductions were observed in the intervention group compared to controls at 2 weeks (22.00 +/- 1.64 vs. 45.74 +/- 4.19, p < .001) and 4 weeks (17.60 +/- 1.74 vs. 46.54 +/- 3.87, p < .001) post-intervention. The intervention group demonstrated a 60.4% reduction at 2 weeks and a 68.1% reduction at 4 weeks from baseline (55.50 +/- 1.82). A total of 94% of intervention participants achieved clinically meaningful improvement (>=5-point reduction) compared with 8% of controls. CONCLUSION: The SIAGA application effectively reduced loneliness among Indonesian community-dwelling older adults, demonstrating superior effectiveness compared to standard care. This digital intervention delivered through community health networks represents a promising, scalable model for addressing mental health needs in aging populations.
