Immigration policies and the treatment of immigrants and refugees are contentious issues involving uncertaintyMigration and issues surrounding immigrants and refugees are defining features of the 21st century. More people live outside their country of birth today than in any other period of human history, and these levels are expected to continue to rise in the future (International

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ObjectivePhysical distancing and stay-at-home measures implemented to slow transmission of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) may intensify feelings of loneliness in older adults, especially those living alone. Our aim was to characterise the extent of loneliness during the first wave in a sample of older adults living in the community and assess characteristics associated with loneliness.DesignOnline cross-sectional survey between 6 May and 19 May 2020.SettingOntario, Canada.ParticipantsConvenience sample of members of a national retired educators’ organisation.Primary outcome measuresSelf-reported loneliness, including differences between women and men.Results4879 respondents (71.0% women; 67.4% 65–79 years) reported that in the preceding week, 43.1% felt lonely at least some of the time, including 8.3% who felt lonely always or often. Women had increased odds of loneliness compared with men, whether living alone (adjusted OR (aOR) 1.52, 95% CI 1.13 to 2.04) or with others (2.44, 95% CI 2.04 to 2.92). Increasing age group decreased the odds of loneliness (aOR 0.69 (95% CI 0.59 to 0.81) 65–79 years and 0.50 (95% CI 0.39 to 0.65) 80+ years compared with <65 years). Living alone was associated with loneliness, with a greater association in men (aOR 4.26, 95% CI 3.15 to 5.76) than women (aOR 2.65, 95% CI 2.26 to 3.11). Other factors associated with loneliness included: fair or poor health (aOR 1.93, 95% CI 1.54 to 2.41), being a caregiver (aOR 1.18, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.37), receiving care (aOR 1.47, 95% CI 1.19 to 1.81), high concern for the pandemic (aOR 1.55, 95% CI 1.31 to 1.84), not experiencing positive effects of pandemic distancing measures (aOR 1.94, 95% CI 1.62 to 2.32) and changes to daily routine (aOR 2.81, 95% CI 1.96 to 4.03).ConclusionsWhile many older adults reported feeling lonely during COVID-19, several characteristics—such as being female and living alone—increased the odds of loneliness. These characteristics may help identify priorities for targeting interventions to reduce loneliness.

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