Prevalence of loneliness over ten years among the oldest old

• Published in: Scandinavian journal of public health 2017-06, Vol.45 (4), p.411-418
• Main Authors: NYQVIST, FREDRICA, CATTAN, MIMA, CONRADSSON, MIA, NÄSMAN, MARINA, GUSTAFSSON, YNGVE
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged, 80 and over; Cohort Studies; Depression - epidemiology; Female; Humans; Loneliness; Male; Oldest old; Prevalence; Residence Characteristics - statistics & numerical data; Risk Factors; Stress, sense of mastery and loneliness; Sweden; Sweden - epidemiology; trends
• ISSN: 1403-4948; 1651-1905; 1651-1905
• DOI: 10.1177/1403494817697511

Aims: This study examined the prevalence of loneliness among the oldest old within a 10-year period and studied the influence of various sociodemographic, social and health characteristics on loneliness. Methods: The study used population-based data from the Umeå85+/GErontological Regional DAtabase-study (GERDA) for the years 2000–2002, 2005–2007 and 2010–2012 including 85-year-old, 90-year-old and ⩾95-year-old participants. A final sample of 304 participants in 2000–2002, 329 participants in 2005–2007 and 401 participants in 2010–2012 was included in the analyses. Results: Although the level of loneliness was already high in 2000–2002 (49.3% reported frequent loneliness), the results showed limited changes in loneliness during the 10-year study period. Loneliness was closely related to living alone, depressive symptoms and living in institutional settings. Conclusions: Although societal changes such as solitary living and growing urbanization suggest a changing trend in loneliness, we found that the prevalence of loneliness was relatively stable in this study. Nevertheless, loneliness is common among the oldest old and a focus on social issues related to living arrangements and on depressive symptoms is important in understanding loneliness.