IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v19y2022i24p16622-d999900.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Social and Emotional Loneliness in Older Community Dwelling-Individuals: The Role of Socio-Demographics

Author

Listed:
  • Vanessa Ibáñez-del Valle

    (Frailty Research Organized Group (FROG), University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain
    Department of Nursing, University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain)

  • Silvia Corchón

    (Frailty Research Organized Group (FROG), University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain
    Department of Nursing, University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain)

  • Georgiana Zaharia

    (Department of Nursing, University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain)

  • Omar Cauli

    (Frailty Research Organized Group (FROG), University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain
    Department of Nursing, University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain)

Abstract

Background: Social determinants have a major influence on individuals’ health, and among them, loneliness has an important impact on the health of the elderly. Objectives: The aims were to determine loneliness and its social and emotional components in a sample of elderly people and to assess its prevalence and associations with sociodemographic variables. Methods: Analytical, cross-sectional, observational research was carried out based on a population over 60 years of age in Valencia (Spain). Loneliness was assessed with the De Jong-Gierveld Loneliness Scale. Results: Five-hundred and thirty community-dwelling individuals participated. The mean age of the sample was 72.7 years (84.2% women); 36.2% suffered from moderate loneliness and 6.6% suffered from extreme loneliness. The sociodemographic variables most significantly related to loneliness were being single, separated, or divorced ( p < 0.01). Among widowers, loneliness was inversely associated with years of widowhood ( p < 0.01). Having sons/daughters was a significant protective factor ( p < 0.05), while having grandchildren or siblings did not have a significant influence. The ability to walk and smartphone and video call use were not associated with loneliness. Conclusions: There is a high prevalence of unwanted loneliness in community-dwelling individuals, and some social factors play an important role. Interventions against loneliness among older people are a priority for welfare and public health.

Suggested Citation

  • Vanessa Ibáñez-del Valle & Silvia Corchón & Georgiana Zaharia & Omar Cauli, 2022. "Social and Emotional Loneliness in Older Community Dwelling-Individuals: The Role of Socio-Demographics," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(24), pages 1-13, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:24:p:16622-:d:999900
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/24/16622/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/24/16622/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ricardo Pagan, 2020. "Gender and Age Differences in Loneliness: Evidence for People without and with Disabilities," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(24), pages 1-16, December.
    2. Fereshteh Mehrabi & François Béland, 2021. "Frailty as a Moderator of the Relationship between Social Isolation and Health Outcomes in Community-Dwelling Older Adults," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(4), pages 1-18, February.
    3. Louise C. Hawkley & Mary Elizabeth Hughes & Linda J. Waite & Christopher M. Masi & Ronald A. Thisted & John T. Cacioppo, 2008. "From Social Structural Factors to Perceptions of Relationship Quality and Loneliness: The Chicago Health, Aging, and Social Relations Study," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 63(6), pages 375-384.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Barjaková, Martina & Garnero, Andrea & d’Hombres, Béatrice, 2023. "Risk factors for loneliness: A literature review," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 334(C).
    2. Jenny Gierveld & Pearl A. Dykstra & Niels Schenk, 2012. "Living arrangements, intergenerational support types and older adult loneliness in Eastern and Western Europe," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 27(7), pages 167-200.
    3. Akihiko Katayama & Ayako Hase & Nobuyuki Miyatake, 2023. "Enhancing Driving Ability in Older Adults through Health Exercises and Physical Activity: A Randomized Controlled Trial," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(19), pages 1-13, September.
    4. Louise C Hawkley & Yuanyuan Gu & Yue-Jia Luo & John T Cacioppo, 2012. "The Mental Representation of Social Connections: Generalizability Extended to Beijing Adults," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 7(9), pages 1-11, September.
    5. Ryuichi Ohta & Koichi Maiguma & Akiko Yata & Chiaki Sano, 2022. "Rebuilding Social Capital through Osekkai Conferences in Rural Communities: A Social Network Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(13), pages 1-10, June.
    6. Patterson, Andrew C. & Veenstra, Gerry, 2010. "Loneliness and risk of mortality: A longitudinal investigation in Alameda County, California," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 71(1), pages 181-186, July.
    7. Luo, Ye & Hawkley, Louise C. & Waite, Linda J. & Cacioppo, John T., 2012. "Loneliness, health, and mortality in old age: A national longitudinal study," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 74(6), pages 907-914.
    8. Federico Comes & Martina Menon & Federico Perali, 2022. "Socio-economic and psychological consequences of the Pandemic for the Great Elderly in Italy: How much is it worth investing in relationship as a factor preventing lonelines," Working Papers 12, SITES.
    9. Sarah Gibney & Mark E. McGovern & Erika Sabbath, 2013. "Social Relationships in Later Life: The Role of Childhood Circumstances," Working Papers 201319, Geary Institute, University College Dublin.
    10. Pauline Van den Berg & Astrid Kemperman & Boy De Kleijn & Aloys Borgers, 2015. "Locations that Support Social Activity Participation of the Aging Population," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-18, August.
    11. Marco Antonio Cruz-Morato & Carmen Dueñas-Zambrana & Josefa García-Mestanza, 2021. "Disability, Human Resources and Behavioral Economics: The Labour Inclusion Case of Ilunion Hotels of the Costa del Sol (Spain)," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(15), pages 1-23, July.
    12. Morrish, N. & Medina-Lara, A., 2021. "Does unemployment lead to greater levels of loneliness? A systematic review," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 287(C).
    13. Thomas Hansen & Britt Slagsvold, 2016. "Late-Life Loneliness in 11 European Countries: Results from the Generations and Gender Survey," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 129(1), pages 445-464, October.
    14. Priscila Marconcin & Sharon Barak & Gerson Ferrari & Élvio R. Gouveia & Marcelo de Maio Nascimento & Renata Willig & Margarida Varela & Adilson Marques, 2022. "Prevalence of Frailty and Its Association with Depressive Symptoms among European Older Adults from 17 Countries: A 5-Year Longitudinal Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(21), pages 1-11, October.
    15. Avi Bitzur & Eran Fisher, 2018. ""It Is Not Good For Man To Be Alone" The Struggle against Loneliness in Old Age: Basic Assumptions for an Integrative Operational Concept –The Israeli Case," International Journal of Social Science Studies, Redfame publishing, vol. 6(1), pages 82-106, January.
    16. Celia Fernández-Carro & Jordi Gumà Lao, 2022. "A Life-Course Approach to the Relationship Between Education, Family Trajectory and Late-Life Loneliness Among Older Women in Europe," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 162(3), pages 1345-1363, August.
    17. Christiansen, Julie & Larsen, Finn Breinholt & Lasgaard, Mathias, 2016. "Do stress, health behavior, and sleep mediate the association between loneliness and adverse health conditions among older people?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 152(C), pages 80-86.
    18. Ryuichi Ohta & Koichi Maiguma & Akiko Yata & Chiaki Sano, 2022. "A Solution for Loneliness in Rural Populations: The Effects of Osekkai Conferences during the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(9), pages 1-10, April.
    19. Bello, Piera & Di Novi, Cinzia & Martini, Gianmaria & Sturaro, Caterina, 2024. "Alleviating loneliness during COVID-19: The impact of neighbor cohesion and social connections in England," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 93(C).
    20. Ruxandra Oana Ciobanu & Tineke Fokkema, 2021. "What protects older Romanians in Switzerland from loneliness? A life-course perspective," European Journal of Ageing, Springer, vol. 18(3), pages 323-331, September.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:24:p:16622-:d:999900. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.