Loneliness, socio-economic status and quality of life in old age: the moderating role of housing tenure

Abstract

The study investigated housing tenure as a factor moderating the effects of loneliness and socio-economic status (SES) on quality of life (control and autonomy, pleasure, and self-realisation) over a two-year period for older adults. Data from the 2010 and 2012 waves of the New Zealand Health, Work, and Retirement Study were analysed. Using case-control matching, for each tenant (N = 332) we selected a home-owner (N = 332) of the same age, gender, ethnicity, SES, working status and urban/rural residence. Structural equation modelling was employed to examine the impact of SES, housing tenure and loneliness on quality of life over time. Emotional loneliness exerted a significant negative main effect on control and autonomy and pleasure. Tenure and SES influenced control and autonomy, but not pleasure or self-realisation. Tenure moderated the effect of emotional loneliness on control and autonomy, with the negative effect of emotional loneliness weaker for home-owners compared to renters. Tenure moderated the effect of SES on control and autonomy, with the positive impact of SES stronger for home-owners. Findings suggest that owners capitalise on their material and financial resources more than tenants in terms of their quality of life. In addition, home-ownership can act as a protective factor against the harmful effects of emotional loneliness in old age.

Prevalence and Social Inequality in Youth Loneliness in the UK

“…This examination of the HBSC data for England from 2006–2014 showed an average of 8% of adolescents aged 11–15 years reported loneliness “always” or “often”. In addition, we found the following: (1) loneliness was related to social inequality, suggesting that loneliness, consistent with previous work with adults [ 20 ] and adolescents [ 13 ], is, to some extent, about social comparison in terms of living conditions, at least in England; (2) that it was associated with lower than average performance at school, dislike of school, and feeling stressed at school, supporting recent work that showed schools are often difficult and lonely places for adolescents [ 21 ]; and (3) it was associated with self-reported poor health, suggesting that the association between loneliness and poor health starts early in life, and is not limited to older age. We also found that across all survey years, the oldest school-aged adolescents (those aged 15 years) were significantly lonelier than their peers.…”

A Capabilities Approach to Unequal Trajectories of Healthy Aging: The Importance of the Environment

“…Researchers have already begun to explore the implications of housing for the well-being of older people, by describing the objective (housing type and housing conditions) and subjective (control and autonomy) aspects of housing in relation to health and quality of life (J. Sixsmith et al, 2014; Szabo, Allen, Alpass, & Stephens, 2017a, 2017b). There are good examples of research that support the development of housing arrangements for older people to foster well-being (e.g., Carr et al, 2013; Cramm et al, 2012; Echeverría et al, 2008; Howden-Chapman et al, 1999; Keating et al, 2013; Oswald et al, 2007; Peace, Wahl, Mollenkopf, & Oswald, 2007; Shank & Cutchin, 2016; Stafford et al, 2003).…”

The psychosocial benefits of providing non-kin childcare in older adults: A longitudinal study with older New Zealanders

“…Non-kin childcare alone was unrelated to changes in control and autonomy. Control and autonomy among older adults are generally influenced by economic (Szabo et al, 2019) and health-related (Sexton et al, 2015) factors that enable participation. This was supported in our data.…”