Loneliness and its predictors among older adults prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic: cross-sectional and longitudinal survey findings from participants of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study cohort in the USA

Kucharska‐Newton, Anna; Matsushita, Kunihiro; Mok, Yejin; Minotti, Melissa; Oelsner, Elizabeth C.; Ring, Kim; Wagenknecht, Lynne E.; Hughes, Timothy M.; Mosley, Thomas H.; Palta, Priya; Lutsey, Pamela L.; Coresh, Joe

doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2021-053542

Cited by 8 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 42 publications

(80 reference statements)

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“…Our finding, which indicated that young age could be associated with increased levels of loneliness, is similar to that of a large representative study of a US population 6. However, other studies have observed that old individuals experienced higher levels of loneliness during the pandemic compared with young individuals,1 7 10 25 while some studies did not find an association between age and the level of loneliness 2 3 5. Thus, the association between age and loneliness during the pandemic need further investigation.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 87%

Experience of loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study of 50 968 adult Danes

et al. 2023

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ObjectivesTo examine the level of loneliness experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic in Denmark and to identify associated behavioural patterns and demographic factors.DesignCross-sectional cohort study.SettingIncludes Danish active and former blood donors.ParticipantsA questionnaire was sent to 124 307 active and former blood donors, of these a total of 50 968 participants completed the study questionnaire (response rate=41%).Primary and secondary outcome measuresSubjective experience of loneliness was measured using the 3-item University of California, Los Angeles Loneliness Scale (UCLA-3). Besides the UCLA-3, the respondents answered items on sociodemographic and economic characteristics, items on precautionary measures taken to avoid COVID-19 infection as well as on COVID-19 anxiety.ResultsThe participants indicated their experienced level of loneliness both before and during the pandemic. Comparing the two reports yielded a mean increase in loneliness scores of 14.1% (p<0.001). Exploratory factor analysis identified the factorwell-being, which comprised three questionnaire items related to emotional heath, physical health and happiness. A high score on the factorwell-beingwas associated with reduced levels of loneliness (coefficient=−0.47, 95% CI −0.49 to −0.46)). Furthermore, women were more likely than men to have experienced increased levels of loneliness during the pandemic (coefficient=0.27, 95% CI 0.25 to 0.29). Furthermore, a negative correlation between higher age and change in loneliness score was observed.ConclusionsThe findings document an increase in the level of experienced loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly affecting individuals with low well-being, women and younger individuals.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 87%

Experience of loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study of 50 968 adult Danes

et al. 2023

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“…Weissbourd et al [11], Wickens et al [17], Bu et al [13], and Li and Wang [18] evidenced that younger people became lonelier during the pandemic, while Khan and Kadoya [2] and Luchetti et al [14] reported slightly higher loneliness among older people. Tillberg et al [19] and Kucharska-Newton et al [20], in particular, provided evidence of an increasing loneliness among the older people. Furthermore, Wickens et al [17], Khan and Kadoya [2], Seifert and Hassler [21], and Bu et al [13] discovered that women were more vulnerable to loneliness, but Stickley and Ueda [22] discovered that men were more likely to be lonely.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Who Became Lonely during the COVID-19 Pandemic? An Investigation of the Socioeconomic Aspects of Loneliness in Japan

Khan

Yuktadatta

Kadoya

2022

IJERPH

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The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted social and economic aspects of people’s lives in different ways, causing them to experience different levels of loneliness. This study examines the extent of loneliness among men and women of various ages in Japan during the pandemic and attempts to determine the underlying causes. We used data from Hiroshima University’s nationwide survey conducted before and during the pandemic in Japan. The sample consists of 3755 participants, of which 67% are men and 33% are women with an average age of 51 years (SD = 13.64). Using mean comparison tests and probit regression models, we show that loneliness is a common occurrence among the Japanese population and that a significant number of people became lonely for the first time during the pandemic. In general, loneliness was greater among younger respondents, but older people became lonelier during the pandemic. Simultaneously, we observed significant differences in loneliness across age and gender subsamples. Although depression and subjective health status contributed to loneliness, we found no single explanation for the loneliness experienced by people during the pandemic; rather, subsample analysis revealed that the causes of loneliness for each group differed. Nevertheless, we discovered that older people are at a higher risk of developing loneliness during the pandemic due to a variety of socioeconomic and behavioral factors. The findings of this study suggest that health authorities should not generalize cases of loneliness, but rather intervene individually in each group to avoid further complications.

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“…The pandemic was a time when our participants may have been surrounded by a lot of negative stimuli, and therefore EA’s indirect effect on loneliness through neuroticism may also have come into play, as higher EA and higher neuroticism lead to loneliness and the absence of neuroticism can predict lower loneliness [ 63 ]. To combat negative stimuli, older adults may have used emotional skills associated with EA and PR to maintain high-quality social relationships during the pandemic [ 50 ]. The ability to remain connected with friends and family through technology, sharing positive experiences, social solidarity, the ability to seek support, and generally having a positive mindset as well as applying previously learned skills may all have attributed to EA links with lower loneliness and higher PR [ 51 - 53 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Indirect Impact of Educational Attainment as a Distal Resource for Older Adults on Loneliness, Social Isolation, Psychological Resilience, and Technology Use During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Cross-Sectional Quantitative Study

Balki,

Hayes,

Holland

2023

JMIR Aging

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Background During the COVID-19 pandemic, government-mandated social distancing prevented the spread of the disease but potentially exacerbated social isolation and loneliness for older people, especially those already vulnerable to isolation. Older adults may have been able to draw from their personal resources such as psychological resilience (PR) and technology use (TU) to combat such effects. Educational attainment (EA) or early-life EA may potentially shape later-life personal resources and their impact on the effects of the pandemic lockdown on outcomes such as loneliness. The developmental adaptation model allows for the supposition that social isolation, TU, and PR may be affected by early EA in older adults. Objective This study examined the indirect impact of EA on pandemic-linked loneliness in a sample of older adults. The developmental adaptation model was used as the conceptual framework to view EA as a distal influence on loneliness, social isolation, PR, and TU. We hypothesized that EA would predict TU and PR and have a moderating impact on social isolation and loneliness. We also hypothesized that PR and TU would mediate the effect of EA on loneliness. Methods This was a cross-sectional observational study, in which data were gathered from 92 older adults aged ≥65 years in the United Kingdom from March 2020 to June 2021, when the country was under various pandemic-linked social mobility restrictions. The data captured demographic information including age, gender, ethnicity, and the highest degree of education achieved. The University of California Los Angeles Loneliness Scale, Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale, Lubben Social Network Index, and Technology Experience Questionnaire were used as standardized measures. Pearson correlation, moderation, and mediation regression analyses were conducted to investigate the hypotheses. Results We found a higher prevalence of loneliness in older adults than in prepandemic norms. EA was correlated with greater TU and PR and moderated the impact of social isolation on loneliness. PR mediated and TU partially mediated the relationship between EA and loneliness. Conclusions Early-life EA was confirmed as a distal resource for older adults and played an indirect role in affecting loneliness levels during the pandemic. It has an impact on present-day personal resources, such as PR and TU, which affect loneliness and also moderate the impact of social isolation on loneliness. Policymakers should be aware that older adults with low levels of EA may be more vulnerable to the harmful impacts of loneliness when isolated by choice.

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Loneliness and its predictors among older adults prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic: cross-sectional and longitudinal survey findings from participants of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study cohort in the USA

Cited by 8 publications

References 42 publications

Experience of loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study of 50 968 adult Danes

Experience of loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study of 50 968 adult Danes

Who Became Lonely during the COVID-19 Pandemic? An Investigation of the Socioeconomic Aspects of Loneliness in Japan

The Indirect Impact of Educational Attainment as a Distal Resource for Older Adults on Loneliness, Social Isolation, Psychological Resilience, and Technology Use During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Cross-Sectional Quantitative Study

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