Loneliness in old age: Psychosocial and health predictors

Abstract

Study objectives  Design  Main results  17% (CI 12.5–23.0) of the respondents answered yes. A significant correlation was demonstratedbetween a feeling of loneliness and low self-perceived health, low vision and poor hearing, low activity of dailylife (ADL) function, loss of a spouse, low social network, no hobbies and possession of a safety alarm. After amultiple regression analysis of the significant variables, the remaining variables as predictors for lonelinessincluded: number of social contacts, self-perceived health, using hearing aid and having a safety alarm.: : The information is obtained from a survey conducted among 232 inhabitants in this age group in the municipalityof Tønsberg, its Northern District. The interview data are composed of the responses from 202 elderlypeople living in a house or apartment (non-institutionalized) to the question «do you generally feel lonely?».The purpose of this article is to study the prevalence of loneliness in a group of elderly peopleover 80 years old and the sociodemographic, health-related and social predictors for experiencing loneliness.ABSTRACT: