Typologies of living alone and loneliness and their correlates among community-dwelling older adults: Results from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey

This study examined typology among Chinese older adults based on living alone and loneliness and their correlates and the urban–rural difference between them. Data were derived from the 2018 wave of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey. Four subgroups were generated – living alone and feeling lonely, living alone but not lonely, not living alone but feeling lonely, and neither living alone nor feeling lonely. Multinomial logistic models were used. Among the 14,469 respondents, 7.84% lived alone and felt lonely, 8.69% lived alone but did not feel lonely, 20.13% did not live alone but felt lonely, and 63.34% neither lived alone nor felt lonely. Compared with those who neither lived alone nor were lonely, older adults who lived alone and were lonely were characterized by low socioeconomic status and poor health, as well as a lack of family support and participation in individual activities. Older adults who lived alone but were not lonely generally reported good health. In contrast, older adults who were not living alone but were lonely generally reported poor health and lacked community old-age care services and participation in individual activities. The results indicate that investigating living alone and loneliness in tandem could provide a better understanding of the social circumstances of older adults within each subgroup and help provide tailored services for each subgroup.