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Loneliness in mid-life and older adults from ethnic minority communities in England and Wales: measure validation and prevalence estimates

Author

Listed:
  • Christina R. Victor

    (Brunel University London)

  • Christine Dobbs

    (Swansea University)

  • Kenneth Gilhooly

    (Brunel University London)

  • Vanessa Burholt

    (The University of Auckland)

Abstract

We investigated the prevalence of loneliness among 1206 adults aged 40 + from six minority communities in England and Wales: Black Caribbean, Black African, Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Chinese. Replicating the approach from the previous studies, we demonstrate robust acceptability, reliability and validity for both the six-item De Jong Gierveld (DJG) and single-item loneliness scales in our six ethnic groups. The prevalence of loneliness using a single-item question (loneliness reported as often/always) ranges from 5% (Indian) to 14% (Chinese) compared with approximately 5% for the general population aged 40 + in Britain. Levels of loneliness are very much higher using the DJG scale. Using a loneliness threshold score of 5 +, the percentage ranged from 13% (Indian) to 36% (Chinese). We explored the importance of six established loneliness vulnerability factors for our sample using regression modelling. Three factors were not associated with loneliness—number of children, gender and health rating, and three factors were protective: younger age, being married and low financial strain. The addition of ethnicity did not change these relationships or enhance statistical power of our models. Being a member of the African Caribbean group was protective against loneliness but not for the other groups included in our study. We suggest that exposure to loneliness vulnerability factors rather than ethnicity per se or measurement artefact underpins differences in loneliness across ethnic groups.

Suggested Citation

  • Christina R. Victor & Christine Dobbs & Kenneth Gilhooly & Vanessa Burholt, 2021. "Loneliness in mid-life and older adults from ethnic minority communities in England and Wales: measure validation and prevalence estimates," European Journal of Ageing, Springer, vol. 18(1), pages 5-16, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:eujoag:v:18:y:2021:i:1:d:10.1007_s10433-020-00564-9
    DOI: 10.1007/s10433-020-00564-9
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Jolien Klok & Theo G. Tilburg & Bianca Suanet & Tineke Fokkema & Martijn Huisman, 2017. "National and transnational belonging among Turkish and Moroccan older migrants in the Netherlands: protective against loneliness?," European Journal of Ageing, Springer, vol. 14(4), pages 341-351, December.
    2. Özgül Uysal-Bozkir & Tineke Fokkema & Janet L. MacNeil-Vroomen & Theo G. van Tilburg & Sophia E. de Rooij, 2017. "Translation and Validation of the De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale Among Older Migrants Living in the Netherlands," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 72(1), pages 109-119.
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    Cited by:

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    2. Katrijn Delaruelle, 2023. "Migration-related inequalities in loneliness across age groups: a cross-national comparative study in Europe," European Journal of Ageing, Springer, vol. 20(1), pages 1-17, December.
    3. Sumeet Lal & Trinh Xuan Thi Nguyen & Abdul-Salam Sulemana & Pattaphol Yuktadatta & Mostafa Saidur Rahim Khan & Yoshihiko Kadoya, 2022. "A Longitudinal Study on Loneliness during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Japan," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(18), pages 1-17, September.
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    5. Orna Baron-Epel & Roni Elran-Barak & Milka Donchin, 2022. "Social Capital as a Mediator and Moderator in the Association between Loneliness and Health, Israel as a Case Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(6), pages 1-16, March.

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