Objectives: To examine the extent to which older women and men (70+) report feelings of loneliness with a focus on: a) changes in reported loneliness as people age, and b) which factors predict loneliness.
Methods: Data from the 2004 and 2011 waves of SWEOLD, a longitudinal national survey study, was used. The prediction of loneliness in 2011 by data collected in 2004 was examined in three logistic regression models for the total sample (n=587), for women and for men.
Results: Older people moved in and out of frequent loneliness over time, but there was a general increase in loneliness as they aged. Recent widowhood and depression increment were associated with loneliness in both women and men. Loneliness, widowhood, depression and mobility problems measured in 2004 predicted loneliness uniquely in women in 2011; whereas low level of education and social contact reduction predicted loneliness uniquely in men.
Discussion: Loneliness is not always a stable condition, demonstrating the importance of longitudinal research. Gender differences in incidence and predictors make it important to look at women and men separately both when researching loneliness and when targeting interventions to prevent or reduce loneliness in older people.