Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33233793›Full record

ArticleInternational journal of environmental research and public health2020

Are Loneliness and Social Isolation Associated with Quality of Life in Older Adults? Insights from Northern and Southern Europe.

Giorgi Beridze, Alba Ayala, Oscar Ribeiro, Gloria Fernández-Mayoralas, Carmen Rodríguez-Blázquez, Vicente Rodríguez-Rodríguez, Fermina Rojo-Pérez, Maria João Forjaz, Amaia Calderón-Larrañaga

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in International journal of environmental research and public health, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 51 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
51citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

51 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
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  4. Understanding the Psychological Impacts of Shielding From COVID-19 for Immunocompromised Individuals.Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy · 2026
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  12. Financial toxicity and quality of life among older adults with cancer: a moderated mediation model of loneliness and social support.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2025
    Article
  13. Observational
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  16. The Impact of Telepresence Robots on Family Caregivers and Residents in Long-Term Care.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2025
    Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Giorgi BeridzeAging Research Center, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet-Stockholm University, 17165 Stockholm, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0002-2615-226X
Alba AyalaNational School of Public Health, Carlos III Institute of Health, 28029 Madrid, Spain.
Oscar RibeiroCenter for Health Technology and Services Research (CINTESIS), Department of Education and Psychology, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.ORCID 0000-0003-4740-7951
Gloria Fernández-MayoralasInstitute of Economics, Geography and Demography (IEGD), Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), 28037 Madrid, Spain.ORCID 0000-0002-1075-0812
Carmen Rodríguez-BlázquezNational Centre of Epidemiology, Carlos III Institute of Health, 28029 Madrid, Spain.ORCID 0000-0003-3829-0675
Vicente Rodríguez-RodríguezInstitute of Economics, Geography and Demography (IEGD), Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), 28037 Madrid, Spain.
Fermina Rojo-PérezInstitute of Economics, Geography and Demography (IEGD), Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), 28037 Madrid, Spain.
Maria João ForjazHealth Services Research on Chronic Patients Network (REDISSEC), Carlos III Institute of Health, 28029 Madrid, Spain.ORCID 0000-0003-3935-962X
Amaia Calderón-LarrañagaAging Research Center, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet-Stockholm University, 17165 Stockholm, Sweden.

Funding

Understanding and Improving Healthcare Decision-Making and Outcomes for People Living with Alzheimer's Disease and Related DementiasP01AG005842 · NIA · NATIONAL BUREAU OF ECONOMIC RESEARCH · PI KOSALI ILAYPERUMA SIMON · 1986 to 2026
$56.5M
DEVELOPING AN ISRAELI VERSION OF THE HRS/SHARE PROJECTR21AG025169 · NIA · HEBREW UNIVERSITY OF JERUSALEM · PI LITWIN, HOWARD · 2004 to 2006
$297k
NIA NIH HHS HHSN271201300071CNIA NIH HHS P01 AG005842NIA NIH HHS R21 AG025169
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeLoneliness and social isolation have detrimental effects on health in old age; however, the prospective associations with quality of life (QoL) remain unclear. Furthermore, despite the existence of a European north-south gradient in the distribution of loneliness and social isolation, little is known whether the associations are context-specific. We investigated the relationships between loneliness, social isolation and QoL of older adults residing in the North (Sweden) and South (Spain) of Europe.

methodsStudy sample consisted of 2995 Swedish and 4154 Spanish older adults who participated in waves six and seven of the Study on Health, Aging and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). Loneliness and social isolation were measured at the baseline, and QoL was measured at the baseline and follow-up using CASP-12. Prospective associations were assessed via multivariate linear regression.

resultsIn Sweden, subjects with higher vs. lower loneliness had 1.01 (95% CI: -1.55, -0.40) units lower QoL, while every standard deviation increase in social isolation was associated with a 0.27 (95% CI: -0.42, -0.09)-unit decrease in QoL. In Spain, every standard deviation increase in social isolation was associated with a 0.66 (95% CI: -1.11, -0.22)-unit decrease in QoL. The association was stronger in subjects aged ≤65 years old and those with no chronic diseases. The association with loneliness was not statistically significant in Spain.

conclusionLoneliness and social isolation are prospectively associated with decreased QoL among older adults, yet the associations are contextually bound. Future interventions should target both exposures, among others, in order to increase QoL in this group.

Indexed as

LonelinessQuality of LifeSocial IsolationAgedEuropeFemaleHumansMaleProspective StudiesSpainSwedenaginglonelinessprospective studiesquality of lifeSHAREsocial isolation

Identifiers

PMID33233793
PMCPMC7699832

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.