Page 31 - IJPS-11-2

International Journal of
Population Studies Living alone and loneliness in older adults

lonely display multiple vulnerabilities. Lack of economic group of older adults thus carries significant potential as
and social resources, especially low family economic clients for social workers. It would be especially helpful
status, inadequate family support, and inadequate social to investigate the circumstances of these subgroups and
participation increase the likelihood of loneliness for those provide necessary resources to ensure quality health and
living alone. This finding aligns with those of previous rehabilitation services, improve family communication, or
research showing that lack of emotional support (Pinquart empower older adults as family caregivers.
& Sörensen, 2000) and social participation are significant Urban–rural differences exist in the correlates of
predictors of loneliness. In terms of interventions, such the typology. Occupational background and cognitive
individuals may come to the attention of service providers impairment might influence the social connections of
and benefit from the provision of long-term care, social older adults living in urban areas, which increases their risk
support, and social activities. It might also be helpful to of loneliness, even for those not living alone. In contrast,
invite them to participate in community activities to among rural older adults, ADL disability and inadequate
establish a sense of value or provide life-review services for individual activity participation and community services
them to help them deal with loneliness (Teh & Tey, 2019). can exacerbate loneliness, even though they may not
Compared with the reference category, those living live alone. Rural older adults typically have a lower level
alone but not lonely demonstrate good ADL ability and of individual activity participation compared with their
SRH, which enable them to interact with others (Li et al., urban counterparts; community old-age care services tend
2022; Zhang et al., 2023). Several potential reasons exist for to be less developed in rural areas than in urban areas (Mi
this finding. First, older adults in good health are capable & Li, 2021). Thus, lack of individual activity participation
of taking care of themselves and choose to live alone; and community services and ADL disability are important
they might be motivated to interact with others and fulfill risk factors for loneliness for rural older adults who do
their social needs (Reher & Requena, 2018). Second, it is not live alone, especially for those in poor health (Yang &
possible that individuals in this subgroup have a lower Gu, 2020). Improving old-age care services in rural areas
level of expectations for social relationships, and high and providing more opportunities for social participation
quality of social contacts could align with their needs due for rural older adults will be key to alleviating loneliness
to socioemotional selection (Carstensen, 1992; English among this group.
& Carstensen, 2014). In terms of future interventions, This study has several implications for practice and
individuals of this subgroup might not need specific research. First, the study establishes profiles of older
social-contact opportunities or activities. Instead, services adults, which can help ensure tailored social work services
in case of emergencies, such as fall monitoring at night, for those in each subgroup. For instance, older adults who
should be made available to them. More importantly, older do not live alone yet feel lonely are “invisible with a high
adults in this subgroup can be encouraged to participate risk of loneliness,” and this group requires urgent attention.
in voluntary activities from the perspective of promoting Second, enlightened by Andersen’s behavioral model, this
positive aging. study extends the applications of the model and provides

Furthermore, compared with the reference category, new evidence for the role of enabling and need factors
those older adults who do not live alone but feel lonely in predicting loneliness and living alone. Third, future
are generally in poor health. They might live with research should disentangle the trajectories of the four
family members and receive basic care from them but subgroups with time as well as clarify their linkage with
not necessarily emotional support, meaning that this health outcomes and old-age care needs using data from
subgroup’s social needs are not met (Logan & Bian, 2003; more waves of the CLHLS. Last, future research is needed
Morelli et al., 2015). People in this subgroup do not have to investigate the younger population with a high risk of
enough resources to fulfill their needs, thus leading to loneliness because this population is characterized by
loneliness. It is also possible that individuals in this group increasing online socialization and decreasing face-to-face
have conflictual intergenerational relationships (Long, interactions.
2021; Wu, 2022), or are experiencing a caregiving burden Despite the contributions of this study, there are some
as caregivers to other family members (Cloutier-Fisher limitations that should be noted. First, despite the fact that
et al., 2011). Without individual activity participation or we use a single-item measure, studies have demonstrated the
community services, such people’s loneliness is exacerbated robustness and predictive validity of this measure (Luo &
(Zhu, 2021). In terms of interventions, there is a great need Waite, 2014; Yang & Gu, 2020). Nevertheless, future research
to reach this group of people, given that current caregiving is needed to verify the findings of this study using a loneliness
services focus more on older adults who live alone. This scale. Second, due to the limitations of the dataset, this study

Volume 11 Issue 2 (2025) 25 https://doi.org/10.36922/ijps.4184