title: Prevalence of loneliness over ten years among the oldest old.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  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.
authors.affiliation: 1 Åbo Akademi University, Faculty of Education and Welfare Studies, Social Policy, Vaasa, Finland.
authors.forename: Fredrica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Nyqvist
authors.affiliation: 2 Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK.
authors.forename: Mima
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cattan
authors.affiliation: 3 Department of Community Medicine and Rehabilitation Geriatric Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
authors.forename: Mia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Conradsson
authors.affiliation: 1 Åbo Akademi University, Faculty of Education and Welfare Studies, Social Policy, Vaasa, Finland.
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Näsman
authors.affiliation: 3 Department of Community Medicine and Rehabilitation Geriatric Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
authors.forename: Yngve
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gustafsson
mesh_terms: D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008132:Loneliness; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012111:Residence Characteristics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012307:Risk Factors; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: Oldest old; Sweden; loneliness; trends