Higher digital embracement is associated with lower levels of loneliness among late middle-aged and older adults

TL;DR

Using digital technology more is linked to less loneliness in older adults, even after considering other factors like mental health.

Contribution

The study shows digital embracement reduces loneliness in older adults beyond known risk factors.

Findings

Low digital living is associated with 3.3-4.1 higher loneliness scores compared to mid/high levels.

Mental health is the strongest predictor of loneliness, with a 14.1 score difference between extremes.

Abstract

Loneliness, a global health problem, increases with advancing age. The digitalization of society has the potential to either increase or decrease loneliness. This study aims to investigate the cross-sectional association between digital living and loneliness in the context of other risk factors in a sample of late middle-aged and older adults, using a measure of embracement of digitalization in daily life.

In total, 441 Swedish adults (response rate 44%) aged 55 to 93 years of age who responded from December 2023 to January 2024. Embracement of digitalization was measured using the Digital Living Index, and loneliness with the UCLA Loneliness Scale.

The mean score for perceived loneliness was 35.64 (SD = 10.55), positioning the participants at the threshold between low and moderate levels of loneliness. In the final multivariate linear regression model, including established risk factors for loneliness, low digital living was estimated to be 3.3 and 4.1 units higher in loneliness compared to mid and high digital living (p = 0.005), respectively. Mental health was estimated to be the strongest predictor of loneliness, with a difference of 14.1 units between bad or very bad mental health and very good (p < 0.001).

Higher digital living appears to be associated with lower levels of loneliness even when other established risk factors for loneliness are controlled for. Supporting late middle-aged and older adults to overcome the digital divide, from access and use to embracement, could potentially be a tool to battle loneliness, and hence to improve public health.