title: Loneliness in middle and old age: demographics, perceived health, and social satisfaction as predictors.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  (a) To identify the degree of much loneliness reported in the Portuguese population over 50 years of age and (b) test whether loneliness can be predicted by socio-demographic, health related or social characteristic of the sample other than age.
  
  
  METHODS
  1174 late middle age and older adults were interviewed face to face by different interviewers across the country; after the informed consent was signed, we asked the participants several socio-demographic and health-related questions; finally we asked "How often do you feel lonely?" and participants responded according to a five point Likert scale.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results showed that 12% of participants reporting feeling lonely often or always, whereas 40% reporting never feeling lonely. The remaining 48% self-reported they felt lonely seldom or sometimes. Additionally, results show that, when taken together, variables such as marital status, type of housing, residence settings, health conditions, social satisfaction, social isolation, lack of interest, transportation, and age were predictors of loneliness.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  (1) The association of loneliness with advanced age has been greatly exaggerated by mass media and common sense; (2) But although our findings did not confirm the most alarmist views, the 12% of older adults reporting that they are feeling lonely always or often should be cause for attention and concern. It is necessary to understand the meaning, reasons and level of suffering implied on those feelings of loneliness. (3) Our findings suggest that it makes no sense to construe age as a singular feature or cause for feelings of loneliness. Instead, age and also a number of other features combine to predict feelings of loneliness. But even with our predictor variables there was a substantial of variance left unexplained. Therefore it is necessary to continue exploring how feelings of loneliness arise from the experience of living and how they can be changed.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, University of Minho, Braga 4710-057, Portugal. Electronic address: alves@psi.uminho.pt.
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ferreira-Alves
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, University of Minho, Braga 4710-057, Portugal; Institute for Polymers and Composites IPC/I3N, University of Minho, Guimarães, Portugal.
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Magalhães
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, University of Minho, Braga 4710-057, Portugal.
authors.forename: Lara
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Viola
authors.affiliation: School of Technology, Polytechnic Institute of Cávado and Ave, Barcelos 4750-810, Portugal; Institute for Polymers and Composites IPC/I3N, University of Minho, Guimarães, Portugal; Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Simoes
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008132:Loneliness / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D017533:Marital Status; D008875:Middle Aged; D010465:Perception; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011174:Portugal; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D012424:Rural Population; D057566:Self Report; D012934:Social Isolation; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014505:Urban Population
keywords: Aging; Loneliness; Middle age; Old age; Portugal; Predictors