Predictors and subjective causes of loneliness in an aged population.
The aim of the study was to examine the prevalence and self-reported causes of loneliness among Finnish older population. The data were collected with a postal questionnaire from a random sample of 6,786 elderly people (>or=75 years of age). The response rate was 71.8% from community-dwelling sample. Of the respondents, 39% suffered from loneliness, 5% often or always. Loneliness was more common among rural elderly people than those living in cities. It was associated with advancing age, living alone or in a residential home, widowhood, low level of education and poor income. In addition, poor health status, poor functional status, poor vision and loss of hearing increased the prevalence of loneliness. The most common subjective causes for loneliness were illnesses, death of a spouse and lack of friends. Loneliness seems to derive from societal life changes as well as from natural life events and hardships originating from aging.
Savikko
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N
The Central Union for the Welfare of the Aged, Malmin Kauppatie 26, 00700 Helsinki, Finland.
Routasalo
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P
Tilvis
R S
RS
Strandberg
T E
TE
Pitkälä
K H
KH
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008132:Loneliness / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D011788:Quality of Life; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012934:Social Isolation / Q000523:psychology*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014505:Urban Population