Loneliness and Its Correlates Among the Aged People Living Alone in Urban Areas

doi:10.16382/j.cnki.1000-5579.2019.03.017

Abstract

Abstract:

With the faster speed of population aging and urbanization, the proportion of the elderly living alone in urban areas has risen rapidly. The issue of loneliness has attracted wide attention. The present study examined the prevalence and influence of loneliness among the aged population (those aged 70 and over) living alone in the cities in China. The data used are from the Aged Population Living Alone in Urban Areas Survey. We find that the participants had a moderate level of loneliness, with 40%, 45% and 15% reporting no, sometimes and often suffering from loneliness, respectively. But the heterogeneous groups among people had different risks of being lonely. Loneliness is associated with advancing age, females, widowhood, poorer income and poorer health. Less family support and losing relatives and friends significantly increases the risks of being lonely. More supports, including those from neighbors, community staff and volunteers, are needed to decrease the risk of feeling lonely for the elderly living alone.

Key words: the elderly living alone, loneliness, urban area, social support

LI Qiang, XU Gang, ZHANG Zhen. Loneliness and Its Correlates Among the Aged People Living Alone in Urban Areas[J]. Journal of East China Normal University (Philosoph, 2019, 51(3): 160-171.

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