Widowhood and loneliness among Chinese older adults: the role of education and gender

Abstract

Objectives Widowhood is a significant predictor of loneliness in older adults and research on the underlying mechanisms of this link using longitudinal data is limited. This study examined whether education would moderate the effect of widowhood on loneliness, and whether such a relationship would differ by gender among Chinese older adults. Method A total of 2,704 older adults from the 2008 wave of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey were included. They were aged 65 years and above, were not lonely, and were married. Logistic regression models were applied to examine the interaction between widowhood, education, and gender on loneliness in the 2011 wave. Results Widowhood was a significant predictor of loneliness and could increase the odds of becoming lonely by 193%. The interaction between widowhood and education was significant only in older women, not in older men. Literate older women reported lower loneliness than did their illiterate counterparts when they remained married during the follow-up. However, when their spouse passed away, literate women did not differ from their illiterate counterparts in loneliness. Conclusion This study revealed a gendered pattern in the interaction between widowhood and education on loneliness and demonstrated the complexity of the mechanisms. Furthermore, it highlighted the importance of considering the role of education and gender simultaneously in a Chinese context.