Temporal Trends in Loneliness Across Four Decades in the Framingham Heart Study

TL;DR

Loneliness in the Framingham Heart Study shows a U-shaped pattern across age groups, with older adults reporting the highest rates despite overall declines since the 1980s.

Contribution

The study reveals long-term trends in loneliness prevalence across four decades and age groups using longitudinal data from the Framingham Heart Study.

Findings

Loneliness prevalence decreased from the 1980s in all age groups, with the most significant declines in younger and older adults.

Older adults (75-84 and 85-94) consistently reported the highest loneliness rates, maintaining a J-shaped curve over time.

The U-shaped age pattern of loneliness persisted across decades, with younger and older age groups showing higher prevalence.

Abstract

Using the Framingham Heart Study, we aimed to describe the prevalence of loneliness within age groups across four decades. Participants completed the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D Scale) and responded how often they felt lonely in the past week. We included in our analysis 30,186 observations longitudinally collected between 1980-2019. Loneliness reported at least once weekly was more prevalent in younger age groups, decreased in mid-life and then increased in older age in a U shaped curve as in prior literature; this trajectory persisted across decades with total prevalences of: 26.6%, 22.5%, 20.6%, 18.3%, 16.5%, 23.1%, and 33.7% in age groups 25-34, 35-44, 45-54, 55-64, 65-74, 75-84 and 85-94 respectively. Loneliness three or more times per week decreased from the 1980s for all ages with continued declines in younger (25-34; 35-44) and older (75-84; 85-94) age groups. Despite these decreases, loneliness prevalence remained highest in the oldest age groups (75-84; 85-94) which reported rates of 11.6% and 15.9% respectively, compared to 5.7-6.9% in younger participants. Loneliness prevalence in ages 75-84 and 85-94 declined across decades with rates respectively of 22.4% and 36.0% from 1980-1989; 11.4% and 15.3% from 1990-1999; 9.7% and 13.9% from 2000-2009; and 7.0% and 9.8% from 2010-2019. However, prevalence rates across ages still maintained a J shaped curve. Loneliness has decreased from the 1980s in the Framingham Heart Study, though older adults ages 75-84 and 85-94 maintained the highest prevalence of loneliness. Further research into factors contributing to declining rates of loneliness is merited.