Loneliness Doesn’t increase Mortality Risk in Older Adults Receiving Home Care,Study Finds
Waterloo,Ontario – Contrary to widely held beliefs and reports suggesting loneliness is as harmful as smoking 15 cigarettes a day,a new international study reveals loneliness is not associated with an increased risk of death among older adults receiving home care. In fact, the research indicates loneliness may even be linked to reduced mortality risk in this population.
The study, led by researchers at the university of Waterloo and published in the journal of the American Medical directors Association, analyzed data from over 300,000 home care recipients across Canada, Finland, and New Zealand [[1]]. Researchers found that loneliness was associated with an 18% reduction in one-year mortality risk in Canada, 15% in Finland, and 23% in New Zealand after adjusting for numerous confounding factors.
“Loneliness doesn’t have to kill you to be a major public health issue,” explained study author Bonaventure A. Egbujie, MD, PhD, adjunct professor of public health sciences at the University of Waterloo. He urges policymakers to address loneliness as a quality-of-life issue rather than framing it as a direct threat to mortality, arguing that the latter approach hinders effective intervention [[1]].
Key Findings:
The study included 178,611 participants from Canada, 35,073 from finland, and 85,065 from New Zealand, all aged 65 or older.
Loneliness prevalence ranged from 15.9% in Canada to 24.2% in New Zealand, generally increasing with age.
Individuals experiencing loneliness tended to have better baseline physical function but reported worse pain and cognitive performance.
Cancer and meaningful changes in health status were identified as the strongest predictors of mortality across all three countries.
Why the Discrepancy?
Researchers suggest the findings differ from previous studies linking loneliness to mortality due to the specific population examined – older adults receiving home care. This group hasn’t been extensively studied, and their circumstances may differ from the general population [[2]].
Limitations & Future Research:
The study acknowledges limitations, including a one-year follow-up period and the use of a single-item measure of loneliness. Further long-term research is needed to explore potential causal relationships between loneliness and health outcomes