The global prevalence and associated factors of loneliness in older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Nader Salari, Hadi Najafi, Shabnam Rasoulpoor, Zara Canbary, Pegah Heidarian and Masoud Mohammadi ()
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Nader Salari: Department of Biostatistics, School of Health, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences
Hadi Najafi: Department of Geriatric Health, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences
Shabnam Rasoulpoor: Department of Nursing, Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Nursing
Zara Canbary: Faculty of Business Management, Emirates Aviation University
Pegah Heidarian: Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences
Masoud Mohammadi: Research Center for Social Determinants of Health, Jahrom University of Medical Sciences

Palgrave Communications, 2025, vol. 12, issue 1, 1-24

Abstract: Abstract Loneliness in older adults is a major health concern in today’s world. As a phenomenon that can significantly impact the well-being and quality of individuals’ lives, the issue has received limited attention to date. This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to summarize the findings on the prevalence of loneliness and its related factors. This study is a systematic review and meta-analysis. A comprehensive literature search covering Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, EMBASE, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar was conducted from inception to March 2025. I2 statistic was employed to assess the presence of statistical heterogeneity among the studies using a random-effects model. A total of 126 studies comprising 1,250,322 older adults were included in this review. The meta-analysis found that the prevalence of loneliness among this population was 27.6%. The highest prevalence of loneliness among older adults is observed in North America, with a prevalence rate of 30.5% (95% CI: 24.7–37); older women (30.9%) and institutionalized older adults (50.7%) had the highest prevalence of loneliness. The review of 189 papers revealed important factors that were related to loneliness. In general, the findings of this research showed that almost one out of every four older people in the world feels lonely, which highlights a considerable statistic. In light of the association of loneliness with various health, clinical, and social factors, including depression, suicidal ideation, and mortality, and the anticipated rise in the older population, mental health practitioners and policymakers must develop and implement interventions aimed at alleviating loneliness among older adults.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1057/s41599-025-05304-x

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