ArticleHealth and quality of life outcomes2020
Personality traits and the risk of becoming lonely in old age: A 5-year follow-up study.
Article in Health and quality of life outcomes, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers.
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Who cites it
14 citing papers in PubMed.
- Loneliness Prevalence and Correlates Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults in Taiwan: Clinical Utility of Brief Screening Measures.Clinical interventions in aging · 2026Article
- Cognitive impairment among older adults in India: understanding the role of substance use and lifestyle factors.BMC geriatrics · 2025Article
- Examining the Impact of Digital Inclusion on Depression Among Older Adults in China: Mediating Role of Noncognitive Abilities.Journal of medical Internet research · 2025Article
- Uncovering the impact of loneliness in ageing populations: a comprehensive scoping review.BMC geriatrics · 2025Article
- Personality traits and social frailty in older adults: exploring the mediating effect of perceived loneliness.Frontiers in public health · 2025Observational
- The association between mental status, personality traits, and discrepancy in social isolation and perceived loneliness among community dwellers.BMC public health · 2024Article
- Attributions of Loneliness-Life Story Interviews with Older Mental Health Service Users.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Risk factors for loneliness: A literature review.Social science & medicine (1982) · 2023Review
- Psychological correlates of perceived loneliness in college students before and during the COVID-19 stay-at-home period: a longitudinal study.BMC psychology · 2023Article
- Decomposition and comparative analysis of depressive symptoms between older adults living alone and with others in China.Frontiers in public health · 2023Article
- Social Isolation and Loneliness among Near-Centenarians and Centenarians: Results from the Fordham Centenarian Study.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Article
- Loneliness and isolated living status in middle-aged and older adults in Taiwan: exploration on stress-related biomarkers, depressive symptoms, and disability.BMC psychiatry · 2022Article
- Aging, Social Distancing, and COVID-19 Risk: Who is more Vulnerable and Why?Aging and disease · 2021Review
- Neighborhood Social Cohesion Associates with Loneliness Differently among Older People According to Subjective Social Status.The journal of nutrition, health & aging · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundAlthough many people experience loneliness in old age, there is little knowledge of predisposing personality factors. The aim of the present study was to explore to what extent personality traits are associated with the risk of becoming lonely, in women and men aged 60-79 years at baseline.
methodsThe panel data are from The Norwegian study on Life course, Ageing and Generations (NorLAG). Our sample consisted of 516 men and 419 women aged 60-79 years, who were surveyed in both 2002-2003 (baseline) and 2007-2008 (follow-up), and who reported not being lonely at baseline. Personality traits were measured by the Big Five scale. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to investigate the association between a personality trait and the risk of becoming lonely, with adjustment for age, mental health and living with a partner.
resultsAt follow-up 59 women and 54 men reported loneliness (14.1% vs. 10.5%, p = 0.092). Among women, high agreeableness at baseline was significantly associated with a higher risk of becoming lonely. Among men, low agreeableness, low conscientiousness and high neuroticism at baseline were significantly associated with a higher risk of becoming lonely.
conclusionsPersonality traits related differently to loneliness depending on gender. These findings may be useful when developing strategies for preventing loneliness in old age.
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