Gender Differences in Loneliness Over Time: A 15-Year Longitudinal Study of Men and Women in the Second Part of Life

Abstract

Evidence suggests that in old age, women are lonelier than men. Gender differences in loneliness are often explained by gender differences in longevity, social status and loss, health, and mobility—well-established predictors that may influence loneliness differently in “younger” (40–59 years) and “older” (60–80 years) groups of men and women in the second part of life. This study explores loneliness in men and women ages 40 to 80 years at baseline over a 15-year period using panel data from three waves of the Norwegian Life Course, Ageing and Generation Study (N = 2,315). Our analyses show that women were more lonely than men also in adjusted analyses. Logistic regression analyses indicated that loss of a partner and poor mental health are prospectively related to loneliness among men and women, whereas other factors like becoming a partner, stable singlehood, and poor physical health were related to loneliness among women but not men.