Lonely places or lonely people? Investigating the relationship between loneliness and place of residence

Christina R Victor,Jitka Pikhartova

doi:10.1186/s12889-020-08703-8

Abstract

BackgroundLoneliness in later life is largely presented as a problem of the individual focusing upon antecedents such as demographic or health factors. Research examining the role of the broader living environments is much rarer. We examined the relationship between loneliness and three dimensions of the lived environment: geographical region, deprivation, and area classification (urban or rural).MethodsOur sample consisted of 4663 core members (44% males) aged 50+ (wave 7 mean age 72.8, S.D. = 7.1) present both in waves 3 (2006) and 7 (2014) of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA). Loneliness was measured using two approaches, individual and area-based, and both waves included these questions. Individual-based (self-reported) loneliness was assessed using the three item University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) scale (ranging from 3 = not lonely to 9 = lonely) with a score of 6+ defining loneliness. We also used a novel question which asked participants to evaluate how often they felt lonely in their area of residence (area-based; ranging from 1 = often to 7 = never, using cut off 4+ to define loneliness). The lived environment was classified in three different ways: the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD), Government Office Regions (GOR), and area classification (urban or rural). Covariates with established relationship with loneliness including demographic factors, social engagement and health, were included in the analyses.ResultsIn wave 7, the prevalence of individual-based loneliness was 18% and area-based was 25%. There was limited congruence between measures: 68% participants reported no individual- or area-based loneliness and 9% reported loneliness for both measures. After adjusting for individual co-variates only one significant relationship was observed between loneliness and area -based characteristics. A significant association was observed between area-based loneliness and deprivation score, with higher levels of loneliness in more deprived areas (OR = 1.4 for highest quintile of deprivation).ConclusionsOur results indicate that loneliness in older adults is higher in the most deprived areas independent of individual-level factors. In order to develop appropriate interventions further research is required to investigate how area-level factors combine with individual-level loneliness vulnerability measures to generate increased levels of loneliness in deprived areas.

Highlights

Loneliness in later life is largely presented as a problem of the individual focusing upon antecedents such as demographic or health factors
The geography of loneliness We identified three types of studies that focus upon loneliness and area type: descriptions of loneliness in specific areas e.g. deprived or rural areas; comparisons of loneliness between different area types, and investigations of area types as a risk factor for loneliness
England is a predominately urban society and most (72.6%) English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) participants lived in areas classified as urban:11.2% lived in most deprived areas and 26% in lowest deprivation quintile

Summary

Introduction

Loneliness in later life is largely presented as a problem of the individual focusing upon antecedents such as demographic or health factors. Loneliness Loneliness as a concept is characterised as the gap between the aspirations and reality of an individual’s quality, quantity, and /or mode of social relationships, or some combination of these elements which is ‘unwanted’ by the individual. These criteria serve to differentiate loneliness from other concepts, most notably social isolation and living alone [1, 2]. Emblematic of the evidence gap, regarding the importance of meso- and macro- level elements in understanding loneliness in later life, is our limited understanding of the geography of loneliness and how area level factors relate to loneliness

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