Family characteristics and loneliness among older adults: evidence from the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Aging (ELSI-Brazil)

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the association between family characteristics concerning partners and children and loneliness among Brazilians aged 50 and over, taking into account both the occurrence of loneliness and its severity levels. Methods: This cross-sectional study used data from 7,163 participants in the second wave of the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Aging, a nationally representative study conducted in 2019-2021. Loneliness was assessed using the 3-item University of California Loneliness Scale. Family characteristics included: marital status and living with the partner and presence of children and living with them. Statistical analysis employed Zero-Inflated Negative Binomial regression models, allowing the assessment of the outcome in both dichotomous and counting-based forms. Results: Only family characteristics related to the partner were associated with loneliness prevalence, whether in a living-apart-together arrangement (PR=0.35; 95%CI 0.23–0.53) or cohabiting (PR=0.37; 95%CI 0.30–0.45). Family characteristics concerning the partner [cohabiting (PR=0.80; 95% CI 0.73–0.88)] and children [non-cohabiting (PR=0.86; 95%CI 0.77–0.95) or cohabiting (PR=0.81; 95%CI 0.72–0,92)] were negatively associated with loneliness levels. Conclusion: Family characteristics play a crucial role in both preventing loneliness and reducing its levels. Public services for improving social support should target older adults with reduced nuclear families.