Loneliness as a public health issue: The impact of loneliness on health care utilization among older adults

K. Gerst-Emerson and J. Jayawardhana

American Journal of Public Health, 2015, vol. 105, issue 5, 1013-1019

Abstract: Objectives: We aimed to determine whether loneliness is associated with higher health care utilization among older adults in the United States. Methods: We used panel data from the Health and Retirement Study (2008 and 2012) to examine the long-term impact of loneliness on health care use. The sample was limited to community-dwelling persons in the United States aged 60 years and older. We used negative binomial regression models to determine the impact of loneliness on physician visits and hospitalizations. Results: Under 2 definitions of loneliness, we found that a sizable proportion of those aged 60 years and older in the United States reported loneliness. Regression results showed that chronic loneliness (those lonely both in 2008 and 4 years later) was significantly and positively associated with physician visits (β= 0.075, SE = 0.034). Loneliness was not significantly associated with hospitalizations. Conclusions: Loneliness is a significant public health concern among elders. In addition to easing a potential source of suffering, the identification and targeting of interventions for lonely elders may significantly decrease physician visits and health care costs.

Keywords: age; aged; demography; female; health service; health status; human; loneliness; male; middle aged; patient attitude; risk factor; socioeconomics; statistics and numerical data; time; United States; utilization; very elderly, Age Factors; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Female; Health Services; Health Status; Humans; Loneliness; Male; Middle Aged; Patient Acceptance of Health Care; Residence Characteristics; Risk Factors; Socioeconomic Factors; Time Factors; United States (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (48)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:aph:ajpbhl:10.2105/ajph.2014.302427_3

DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2014.302427

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