Classification of social isolation and factors related to loneliness and life satisfaction among socially isolated individuals

Abstract

PurposeTo operationally divide social isolation into four categories and examine the factors associated with social isolation and its relationship with loneliness and life satisfaction. MethodsThe participants were community-dwelling older adults aged ≥ 60 years who underwent functional health examinations in Chita City, Aichi, Japan. Multiple regression analysis was used to examine the associations between social isolation, loneliness, and life satisfaction. ResultsA total of 5,066 participants (mean age 72.0 ± ± 6.3 years, female: 55.4 %) were included in the study. Multiple regression analysis showed that the number of experiences of social isolation, classified into four categories, was positively correlated with loneliness (β = 0.188, ΔR2 = 0.244, p < 0.001) and negatively correlated with life satisfaction (β = -0.076, ΔR2 = -0.178, p < 0.001). ConclusionsMultiple experiences of social isolation classified into four categories were found to be associated with higher loneliness and lower life satisfaction.