The association of loneliness and social isolation with multimorbidity over 14 years in older adults in England: a population-based cohort study
The association of loneliness and social isolation with multimorbidity over 14 years in older adults in England: a population-based cohort study
Background: previous longitudinal studies have linked multimorbidity to loneliness (feeling alienated) and social isolation (having reduced social contact). However, the nature of these associations over time is unclear.
Objective: to examine bidirectional associations of multimorbidity with loneliness and social isolation over a 14-year follow-up in a nationally representative cohort of adults aged ≥ 50 years.
Methods: this retrospective cohort study used seven waves of data (collected between 2004/2005 and 2018/2019) from adults in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. Multimorbidity was defined as the presence of ≥2 long-term conditions. Loneliness was measured using the 3-item University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) scale. Social isolation was derived based on cohabitation status, frequency of contact with children, relatives, and friends, and social organisation membership. We used Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for social isolation or loneliness, demographic and health behaviour variables.
Results: the cohort consisted of 6031 adults with baseline and follow-up data on loneliness, social isolation, multimorbidity, and other covariates. Loneliness was associated with increased risk of incident multimorbidity [aHR (95 % CI): 1.38 (1.15–1.65)], whereas social isolation was not [aHR (95 % CI): 0.97 (0.81–1.16)]. Multimorbidity was associated with increased risk of incident loneliness [aHR (95 % CI): 1.55 (1.30–1.84)], but not significantly associated with subsequent risk of incident social isolation [aHR (95 % CI): 1.09 (0.92–1.28)].
Conclusions: an independent bidirectional association exists between loneliness and multimorbidity. Interventions targeting loneliness may prevent or delay multimorbidity and also improve wellbeing for people with multimorbidity.
Hounkpatin, Hilda
5612e5b4-6286-48c8-b81f-e96d1148681d
Islam, Nazrul
e5345196-7479-438f-b4f6-c372d2135586
Stuart, Beth
530c66bd-5dc1-48d8-bff5-4b9b7774aba3
Santer, Miriam
3ce7e832-31eb-4d27-9876-3a1cd7f381dc
Farmer, Andrew
c384123c-1276-4d06-a2b5-d5419bd83b1d
Dambha-Miller, Hajira
58961db5-31aa-460e-9394-08590c4b7ba1
25 January 2025
Hounkpatin, Hilda
5612e5b4-6286-48c8-b81f-e96d1148681d
Islam, Nazrul
e5345196-7479-438f-b4f6-c372d2135586
Stuart, Beth
530c66bd-5dc1-48d8-bff5-4b9b7774aba3
Santer, Miriam
3ce7e832-31eb-4d27-9876-3a1cd7f381dc
Farmer, Andrew
c384123c-1276-4d06-a2b5-d5419bd83b1d
Dambha-Miller, Hajira
58961db5-31aa-460e-9394-08590c4b7ba1
Hounkpatin, Hilda, Islam, Nazrul, Stuart, Beth, Santer, Miriam, Farmer, Andrew and Dambha-Miller, Hajira
(2025)
The association of loneliness and social isolation with multimorbidity over 14 years in older adults in England: a population-based cohort study.
Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 131, [105763].
(doi:10.1016/j.archger.2025.105763).
Abstract
Background: previous longitudinal studies have linked multimorbidity to loneliness (feeling alienated) and social isolation (having reduced social contact). However, the nature of these associations over time is unclear.
Objective: to examine bidirectional associations of multimorbidity with loneliness and social isolation over a 14-year follow-up in a nationally representative cohort of adults aged ≥ 50 years.
Methods: this retrospective cohort study used seven waves of data (collected between 2004/2005 and 2018/2019) from adults in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. Multimorbidity was defined as the presence of ≥2 long-term conditions. Loneliness was measured using the 3-item University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) scale. Social isolation was derived based on cohabitation status, frequency of contact with children, relatives, and friends, and social organisation membership. We used Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for social isolation or loneliness, demographic and health behaviour variables.
Results: the cohort consisted of 6031 adults with baseline and follow-up data on loneliness, social isolation, multimorbidity, and other covariates. Loneliness was associated with increased risk of incident multimorbidity [aHR (95 % CI): 1.38 (1.15–1.65)], whereas social isolation was not [aHR (95 % CI): 0.97 (0.81–1.16)]. Multimorbidity was associated with increased risk of incident loneliness [aHR (95 % CI): 1.55 (1.30–1.84)], but not significantly associated with subsequent risk of incident social isolation [aHR (95 % CI): 1.09 (0.92–1.28)].
Conclusions: an independent bidirectional association exists between loneliness and multimorbidity. Interventions targeting loneliness may prevent or delay multimorbidity and also improve wellbeing for people with multimorbidity.
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Accepted/In Press date: 14 January 2025
e-pub ahead of print date: 17 January 2025
Published date: 25 January 2025
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 498173
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/498173
ISSN: 0167-4943
PURE UUID: 5dcaadea-e8d8-4d54-8c1a-41a3a086bfe8
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Date deposited: 11 Feb 2025 18:02
Last modified: 12 Feb 2025 03:07
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Author:
Nazrul Islam
Author:
Beth Stuart
Author:
Andrew Farmer
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