ArticleThe journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences2019
Alternatives to Aging Alone?: "Kinlessness" and the Importance of Friends Across European Contexts.
Article in The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 43 papers.
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Who cites it
43 citing papers in PubMed.
- "Kinlessness", friend and family support, and cognitive function by region and urbanicity in the United States.Health & place · 2026Article
- Navigating aging and health with limited family ties across societies: Challenges, adaptations, and policy responses.Social science & medicine (1982) · 2026Article
- Living Alone and Routine Checkup Disparities Among Older Adults With Disabilities in the United States: The Mediating Role of Social Determinants of Health.Journal of aging and health · 2026Article
- Limited family ties, friendship, and contextual variation in loneliness risk across 25 countries.Social science & medicine (1982) · 2026Article
- Family structure, "Kinlessness", and cognitive decline: Social connectedness and contextual variation in Europe.Social science & medicine (1982) · 2026Article
- Beliefs about Levels of Care Responsibility for Older Adults in Need: Differences by Relationship and the Presence of Dementia.Alzheimer's & dementia. Behavior & socioeconomics of aging · 2026Article
- The Future Availability of Family Caregivers: Implications for Late-Life Care Gaps.Population research and policy review · 2026Article
- Development of the social frailty scale for older adults under pandemic-related social restrictions.Frontiers in aging · 2026Article
- Aging in aging societies: the transformation of life courses and how we study them.The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences · 2025Article
- Assessing the Incremental Health Care Utilization and Expenditures Associated With Serious Psychological Distress by Living Arrangements Among Older Adults.Journal of applied gerontology : the official journal of the Southern Gerontological Society · 2025Article
- Parent-Child Disconnectedness and Older European Adults' Mental Health: Do Patterns Differ by Marital Status and Gender?The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences · 2025Article
- "Kinlessness," Social Connectedness, and Subjective Well-Being in Europe.The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences · 2025Article
- Mapping inequalities in the health of older adults around the world: Heterogeneities in cognitive and physical functioning.Vienna yearbook of population research · 2025Article
- All in the family? Understanding differences in the kin-centricity of older US adults' core discussion networks from classic age, period, and cohort table estimates.Social science research · 2025Article
- A critical examination of 'family' caregiving at the end of life in contexts of homelessness: Key concepts and future considerations.Palliative care and social practice · 2025Article
- Kinlessness at Older Ages: Prevalence and Heterogeneity in 27 Countries.The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences · 2024Article
- Changes in Family Structure and Increasing Care Gaps in the United States, 2015-2050.Demography · 2024Article
- Loneliness Trajectories and Chronic Loneliness Around the World.The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences · 2024Article
- Nonkin Carers' Roles and Contributions to the Support of Older People Living Alone: An Analysis of Qualitative Data.The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences · 2024Article
- Perceived Loneliness, Social Isolation, and Social Support Resources of Frail Older People Ageing in Place Alone in Italy.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
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Abstract
objectivesIncreasing numbers of older adults cross-nationally are without children or partners in later life and therefore likely have greater reliance on nonkin (e.g., friends). This pattern may be particularly pronounced in country contexts that emphasize friendship. This article hypothesizes that those who lack kin (e.g., children, partners) and/or who live in countries with a stronger emphasis on friendship have more friends in their networks. Although these hypothesized patterns are consistent with interdisciplinary literatures, they have not been tested empirically and therefore remain overlooked in current "aging alone" narratives.
methodThis study combines individual-level data from the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe (Wave 6) with nation-level data from the European Values Survey to estimate multilevel negative binomial models exploring number of friends among those aged more than 50 years who lack kin across 17 countries.
resultsOlder adults who lack kin or whose kin are unavailable report more friends in their networks, particularly in countries with a higher percentage of people who believe that friends are "very important" in life. DISCUSSION: This article challenges dominating assumptions about "aging alone" that rely heavily on lack of family as an indicator of "alone." Future studies of "kinlessness" should consider the extent to which friendship is correlated with lack of kin, particularly in more socioeconomically developed countries. Previous research on "aging alone" may have overestimated risk in more privileged countries that already emphasize friendship, but underestimated risk in family-centered countries where "kinlessness" and alternative sources of support are less common.
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