Abstract
Abstract Large personal networks are a key marker of social integration that protect against loneliness. Yet how such social integration shapes loneliness on a momentary basis remains unclear. This study examines (1) the role of personal network size in shaping older adults’ momentary loneliness, (2) how momentary social accompaniment modifies this association (protective or risk factor), and (3) whether this moderation varies by gender. We use three waves of ecological momentary assessments (n = 12,251) and personal network data collected from 333 older adults as part of the Chicago Health and Activity in Real-Time (CHART). Findings from multilevel regression models suggest that older adults with large social networks experience greater intensity loneliness when momentarily alone compared to those with smaller social networks. This association is also more pronounced among men compared to women. Results support our deviation-from-baseline hypothesis, which is further supported by additional analyses that find a similar association between more frequent interaction with network ties and heightened loneliness when alone. Additional analyses provide insight into observed gender differences as well: women’s networks and momentary social company tend to be familial ties characterized by caregiving, compared to men’s ties, which are characterized as peers or companions. Here, moments of momentary social isolation may be a welcome reprieve from otherwise demanding social relationships (“tethering”). We conclude that extending the well-documented links between global measures of social integration and loneliness into a real-time framework offers novel insight into existing, high-level trends in loneliness among older adults.
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