@article{ref1,
title="Prevalence of loneliness over ten years among the oldest old",
journal="Scandinavian journal of public health",
year="2017",
author="Nyqvist, Fredrica and Cattan, Mima and Conradsson, Mia and Näsman, Marina and Gustafsson, Yngve",
volume="45",
number="4",
pages="411-418",
abstract="AIMS: This study examined the prevalence of loneliness among the oldest old within a 10-year period and studied the influence of various sociodemographic, social and health characteristics on loneliness. <br><br>METHODS: The study used population-based data from the Umeå85+/GErontological Regional DAtabase-study (GERDA) for the years 2000-2002, 2005-2007 and 2010-2012 including 85-year-old, 90-year-old and ⩾95-year-old participants. A final sample of 304 participants in 2000-2002, 329 participants in 2005-2007 and 401 participants in 2010-2012 was included in the analyses. <br><br>RESULTS: Although the level of loneliness was already high in 2000-2002 (49.3% reported frequent loneliness), the results showed limited changes in loneliness during the 10-year study period. Loneliness was closely related to living alone, depressive symptoms and living in institutional settings. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Although societal changes such as solitary living and growing urbanization suggest a changing trend in loneliness, we found that the prevalence of loneliness was relatively stable in this study. Nevertheless, loneliness is common among the oldest old and a focus on social issues related to living arrangements and on depressive symptoms is important in understanding loneliness.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1403-4948",
doi="10.1177/1403494817697511",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1403494817697511"
}