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Measuring Older Adult Loneliness Across Countries

Author

Listed:
  • Lauren
  • Ashton M Verdery
  • Rachel Margolis
  • Léa Pessin

Abstract

ObjectivesThe topic of older adult loneliness commands increasing media and policy attention around the world. Are surveys of aging equipped to measure it? We assess the measurement of loneliness in large-scale aging studies in 31 countries by describing the available measures, testing correlations between them, and documenting their construct validity.MethodsWe use data from several “sister studies” of aging adults around the world. In each country, we document available loneliness measures, test for measurement reliability by examining correlations between different measures of loneliness, and assess how these correlations differ by gender and age group. We then evaluate construct validity by estimating correlations between loneliness measures and theoretically hypothesized constructs related to loneliness: living alone and not having a spouse.ResultsThere is substantial heterogeneity in available measures of loneliness across countries. Within countries with multiple measures, the correlations between measures are high (range 0.384–0.777, median 0.636). Although we find several statistically significant differences in these correlations by gender and age, the differences are small (gender: range −0.098 to 0.081, median −0.026; age group: range −0.194 to 0.092, median −0.003). Correlations between loneliness measures and living alone and being without a spouse are all positive, almost universally statistically significant, and similar in magnitude across countries, supporting construct validity.DiscussionThis article establishes that even single-item measures of loneliness contribute meaningful information in diverse settings. Similar to the measurement of self-rated health, there are nuances to the measurement of older adult loneliness in different contexts, but it has reliable and consistent measurement properties within many countries.

Suggested Citation

  • Lauren & Ashton M Verdery & Rachel Margolis & Léa Pessin, 2021. "Measuring Older Adult Loneliness Across Countries," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 76(7), pages 1408-1414.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:geronb:v:76:y:2021:i:7:p:1408-1414.
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/geronb/gbaa109
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Mara Getz Sheftel & Rachel Margolis & Ashton M. Verdery, 2023. "Health Across Borders: A Crossnational Comparison of Immigrant Health in Europe," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 42(3), pages 1-20, June.
    2. Cowden, Birton & Tang, Jintong, 2022. "Institutional entrepreneurial orientation: Beyond setting the rules of the game for blockchain technology," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 180(C).
    3. Håkan Nordström, 2023. "Does the risk of carbon leakage justify the CBAM?," RSCAS Working Papers 2023/08, European University Institute.
    4. Livia CEBOTARI, 2021. "Eu-Russian Economic Relations: From Cooperation To Confrontation," EURINT, Centre for European Studies, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, vol. 8, pages 41-55, July.
    5. Castro-Diaz, Laura & García, María Alejandra & Villamayor-Tomas, Sergio & Lopez, Maria Claudia, 2023. "Impacts of hydropower development on locals’ livelihoods in the Global South," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 169(C).
    6. Schulhof, Vera & van Vuuren, Detlef & Kirchherr, Julian, 2022. "The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI): What Will it Look Like in the Future?," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 175(C).
    7. Thipphavong, Viengsavang & Vanhnalat, Bounlert & Vidavong, Chanhphasouk & Bodhisane, Somdeth, 2022. "The Export Potential Of Laos Agri-Food To The Eu Market," PRCI Research Papers 324028, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food and Resource Economics, Food Security Group.

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