Factors associated with quality of life and the use of public healthcare and social services in older adults experiencing loneliness

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to understand how different measures of loneliness affect the quality-of-life of older adults and their use of social and healthcare services. STUDY DESIGN: An observational, cross-sectional study was conducted, administering a survey to 1003 non-institutionalized individuals aged 65 years or over in Spain. METHODS: Data on sociodemographic variables, quality-of-life, and the use of social and healthcare services were collected. The prevalence of loneliness was analyzed using various measures, while its relationship with quality-of-life and the use of social and healthcare services was assessed through linear and logistic regression models, adjusting for other factors. RESULTS: Loneliness reduced quality-of-life by between 11.1 % and 20.7 %. Of the social and health services analyzed, we found that loneliness increased the likelihood of using home help services by a factor of 1.75-2.36 and increased the number of visits to primary care/nursing services by a factor of 1.51-1.70. CONCLUSIONS: Loneliness has detrimental effects on quality-of-life. Moreover, it may negatively impact health status, leading to increased use of social and healthcare services.