Correlates of loneliness in older adults in Shanghai, China: does age matter?

BMC Geriatrics

Table 1 Sample characteristics of the study

Variables	Total		Young old		Old old		Difference
Variables	N = 2770		N = 2387		N = 383		Difference
Sex							a
Male	48.80		49.4		45.7
Female	51.20		50.6		54.3
Hukou registration
Urban	71.7		72.1		69.7		a
Rural	28.3		27.9		30.3		a
Marital status							a^***
Married	81.0		86.1		49.1
Single	0.9		1.0		0.3
Divorced	2.3		2.5		1.0
Widowed	15.8		10.4		49.6
Education							a^***
Primary school or lower	34.9		30.2		64.5
Junior high	29.2		32.3		10.2
High	20.6		22		10.9
Bachelor	15.4		15.5		14.4
Living arrangement							a^***
Living alone	12.4		10.6		24.0
Living with others	87.6		89.4		76.0
Volunteering	11.2		12.6		2.3		a^***
	Mean	SD	Mean	SD	Mean	SD
Age	69.72	8.07	67.23	5.24	85.22	4.57	b^***
Self-rated health	2.16	0.86	2.17	0.87	2.08	0.81	b
IADL	1.27	0.62	1.17	0.46	1.90	1.01	b^***
Chronic disease	2.09	1.79	1.99	1.74	2.68	2.00	b^***
Family functioning	2.97	0.33	2.97	0.33	2.99	0.33	b
Chatting with neighbors	6.14	3.38	6.27	3.31	5.29	3.69	b^***
Playing mahjong	1.96	2.34	1.98	2.36	1.79	2.23	b
Dancing	1.43	1.72	1.48	1.79	1.16	1.11	b^***
New media use	1.87	1.27	1.98	1.32	1.17	0.61	b^***
Loneliness	18.48	5.77	18.35	5.84	19.27	5.30	b ^**

Note. **p < .01, ***p < .001. a. we used chi-square tests to compare the differences. b. we used t-tests to compare the differences. IADL instrumental activities of daily living

ISSN: 1471-2318