Aging & Society: Eighth Interdisciplinary Conference

Abstract

This study examines the impact of loneliness on health care service use over a seven-year period in the oldest old. Data were drawn from wave 3 to wave 5 of the Cambridge City over-75s Cohort Study (CC75C). Loneliness was assessed by a single-item scale ‘Do you feel lonely?’, with answers categorized into ‘not lonely’, ‘slightly lonely’ and ‘lonely’. The health care utilization was measured through a series of self-reported number of home help service use, community nurse contact, meals on wheels service use, day centre visit, hospital visit, and the time since last saw a general practice (GP). The associations between loneliness and health service use were examined by using the Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE). Two models were fitted: the first model was to test the effects of baseline loneliness on health care utilization, and the second model was to test the impact of changes of loneliness on health care service use. Results revealed that the baseline slightly lonely was associated with a shorter time since last saw a GP; when taking changes of loneliness into account, individuals who felt lonely were about three times more likely to contact community nurses and use meals on wheels services, respectively. Loneliness was a significant risk factor for certain types of health care utilizations, independently of participants’ health conditions in the oldest old. This finding has implications on public health and practice that public officials should raise the public awareness of loneliness and place prevention of loneliness as a priority.