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Knowledge of these experiences can help nurses plan care that is designed to improve the quality of life of women and their husbands.

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ÖZET ABSTRACTAim/background: Loneliness occurs in all stages of life, and a major problem for most of the elderly. To determine the prevalence of loneliness and evaluate the effects of socio-demographic, health characteristics, life satisfaction, activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living among elderly people. Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted with 160 participants in three regions of İzmir. Measures were included a demographic questionnaire, the UCLA Loneliness Scale, the Life Satisfaction Scale, the Katz Index of Activities of Daily Living and the Lawton and Brody's Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Index. Data were analysed via the independent t-test, Kruskal-Wallis test, ANOVA test, Pearson's correlation and multiple linear regression with stepwise analysis. Results: The loneliness rate was 46.9% among participants. A great difference existed between loneliness level and marital status, education level, place of residence, selfreported health, self-reported sleep quality, exercise and instrumental activities of daily living. Life satisfaction, activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living were negatively associated with loneliness. Conclusion: Elderly care services should be designed with a multidisciplinary approach, and nurses should especially assess loneliness in elderly with low levels of self-care capacity and reduced social contacts to develop appropriate nursing interventions.