Factors associated with loneliness among individuals aged 80 years and over: Findings derived from the nationally representative "Old Age in Germany (D80+)" study

André Hajek; Razak M Gyasi; Hans-Helmut König

doi:10.1016/j.archger.2024.105443

Factors associated with loneliness among individuals aged 80 years and over: Findings derived from the nationally representative "Old Age in Germany (D80+)" study

Arch Gerontol Geriatr. 2024 Apr 10:123:105443. doi: 10.1016/j.archger.2024.105443. Online ahead of print.

Authors

André Hajek¹, Razak M Gyasi², Hans-Helmut König³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Health Economics and Health Services Research, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg Center for Health Economics, Hamburg, Germany. Electronic address: a.hajek@uke.de.
² African Population and Health Research Center, Nairobi, Kenya; National Centre for Naturopathic Medicine, Faculty of Health, Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW, Australia.
³ Department of Health Economics and Health Services Research, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg Center for Health Economics, Hamburg, Germany.

PMID: 38631279
DOI: 10.1016/j.archger.2024.105443

Abstract

Objectives: To clarify the factors associated with loneliness in individuals aged 80 years and older in Germany (also stratified by sex).

Methods: Data from the nationally representative "Old Age in Germany (D80+)" were employed. The analytic sample equaled 10,031 individuals. The D80+ study included community-dwelling and institutionalized individuals ≥ 80 years in Germany. Multiple linear regressions were used (with sociodemographic and health-related explanatory factors). The collection of data occurred between November 2020 and April 2021 (written questionnaire).

Results: Higher loneliness was significantly associated with not being married (e.g., widowed compared to being married, β=0.37, p<.001), being institutionalized (β=0.33, p<.001), low education (high education compared to low education, β=-0.07, p<.01), a higher number of chronic conditions (β=0.02, p<.001), poor self-rated health (β=-0.19, p<.001) and greater functional impairment (β=0.15, p<.001). Sex-stratified regressions produced comparable results. However, low education was only associated with higher loneliness among men, but not women (with significant interaction: education x sex).

Conclusion: Several sociodemographic and health-related factors can contribute to loneliness among the oldest old in Germany, with sex-specific associations between education and loneliness. Overall, such knowledge can aid to address individuals with higher loneliness levels.

Keywords: Aged, 80 and over; Chronic conditions; Education; Functional impairment; Loneliness; Nursing home; Oldest old; Self-rated health; Sex differences; Social connectedness; Social exclusion; Social isolation; Social support; Spousal loss.