Prevalence and Factors Associated with Loneliness Among Urban-Dwelling Older Persons in Kuala Lumpur

Abstract

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared loneliness as a global public issue. Each individual faces this psychological state in some stages of their lives as people from all age categories, including older persons may experience it. In this study, we aimed to determine the prevalence and factors associated with loneliness among older persons in Kuala Lumpur. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted at government health clinics located in two districts located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia between October 2024 and March 2025. 423 older persons were recruited. The De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale (DJGLS-6), Duke Social Support Index (DSSI-11), Lubben Social Network Scale (LSNS-6), Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-14) and self-rated health (SRH) questionnaires were used for data collection. Ordinal logistic regression was used to identify significant factors. RESULTS: The mean age of participants was 67.80 (±5.75) years. Analysis of the collected data indicated a 47.0% prevalence of loneliness among participants. Ordinal logistic regression found that female [adjusted odds ratio (AOR)=1.50; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.04 – 2.19], age (AOR= 1.03; 95% CI: 1.00–1.07) and functional social support (AOR=0.92; 95% CI:0.89 – 0.96) were significantly associated with loneliness. CONCLUSION: Based on these findings, social and community programmes can be tailored to reach older persons at greater risk of experiencing loneliness. Identification of these individuals can be informed by their sociodemographic, health, and interpersonal characteristics highlighted in this study.