Social Isolation and Mortality in Older Adults in Sweden: A Cohort Study

OBJECTIVES: This study examined the association between social isolation and mortality outcomes in a large Swedish cohort. METHODS: A cohort study was conducted among 36,490 men and women aged 56-95 years based on linking the Swedish Mammography Cohort (SMC) and the Cohort of Swedish Men (COSM) with Swedish national registers. Cox regression models were used to estimate associations between social isolation and mortality. RESULTS: Participants with high social isolation had a significantly higher risk of all-cause mortality compared to those with low social isolation (HR 1.17, 95% CI: 1.09-1.27). This association was observed in both women (HR 1.18, 95% CI: 1.02-1.37) and men (HR 1.15, 95% CI: 1.05-1.27). For cause-specific mortality, social isolation was significantly associated with deaths from ischemic heart disease (HR 1.55, 95% CI: 1.12-2.14) and prostate cancer (HR 1.44, 95% CI: 1.02-2.04). CONCLUSION: Our study found a significant association between social isolation and both all-cause and cause-specific mortality, such as ischemic heart disease and prostate cancer, among older adults.