A prospective study of social isolation, loneliness, and mortality in Finland

J. Tanskanen and T. Anttila

American Journal of Public Health, 2016, vol. 106, issue 11, 2042-2048

Abstract: Objectives. To estimate the simultaneous effects of social isolation and loneliness on mortality. Methods. We analyzed a representative Finnish sample (n = 8650) from the crosssectional Living Conditions Survey of 1994, with a 17-year follow-up period (1995-2011), by using Cox regression models adjusted for several possible confounding variables. We examined the possible nonlinear threshold effect of social isolation on mortality. Results. The analyses revealed that social isolation predicted mortality even after we controlled for loneliness and control variables. The connection between social isolation and mortality was linear in nature and there was no synergistic effect between social isolation and loneliness. The effect of loneliness became nonsignificant when studied simultaneously with social isolation. Conclusions. This study reveals strong evidence for an adverse effect of social isolation on mortality. Social isolation and loneliness seem to have distinct pathways to mortality and health.The results imply that the risk of mortality exists along a continuum, affecting not only those who experience extreme social isolation, but also those who suffer from mild to progressively increasing intensity of isolation.

Keywords: confounding variable; Finland; follow up; human; loneliness; major clinical study; mortality risk; proportional hazards model; prospective study; social isolation; adolescent; adult; aged; body mass; cross-sectional study; drinking behavior; epidemiology; exercise; female; Finland; health status; male; middle aged; mortality; prospective study; risk factor; social support; socioeconomics; young adult, Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Alcohol Drinking; Body Mass Index; Cross-Sectional Studies; Exercise; Female; Finland; Health Status; Humans; Loneliness; Male; Middle Aged; Mortality; Prospective Studies; Risk Factors; Social Isolation; Social Support; Socioeconomic Factors; Young Adult (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (11)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:aph:ajpbhl:10.2105/ajph.2016.303431_8

DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2016.303431

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