Prevalence of Loneliness and Associated Factors Among Iranian College Students During 2015

Abstract

Background: University students are the developers of their nations’ future and make up a significant number of young people. The number of students is increasing as universities and higher education centers develop. Hence, paying attention to student’s physical and mental health is among the most important issues. The aim of the present analytical cross-sectional study was to determine the epidemiological pattern of loneliness and related factors among Maragheh University of Medical Sciences students. Methods: The research was an analytical cross-sectional study, in which 323 Maragheh University of Medical Sciences students were selected by means of applying the inclusion criteria with a convenience sampling method. Then, the required data were collected through demographic profile questionnaire and Russell’s revised UCLA loneliness scale. The data were analyzed using the Chi square test. Results: The prevalence of moderate and severe loneliness was reported to be 50.5% and 31.6%, respectively. Furthermore, there was a significant relationship between loneliness of the participants and their gender (P < 0.001), birth order (P = 0.004), birth place (P < 0.001), and semester of study (P = 0.001). Conclusions: The results of the present study accentuate the necessity of paying attention to the state of loneliness in students, exploring situations and reasons that intensify the feeling in this age group, and identifying intervention plans that could reduce it.