Loneliness and functional limitations shaping one another: evidence from the Health and Retirement Study

Objectives: Few studies have examined the bidirectional association between loneliness and functional limitations longitudinally. The current study aimed to explore the causal relationship between loneliness and functional limitations over time (2008 to 2016; T1-T3) using data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS).

Method: Including 7,046 older American adults (M = 69.17, SD = 10.32) from the HRS, a random intercept cross-lagged panel model (RI-CLPM) was computed to examine carry-over and spill-over effects over time. The RI-CLPMs enable separating the within-person fluctuation from the between-person differences.

Results: The results revealed greater levels of loneliness and a greater number of functional limitations have bidirectional associations at the within-person level from 2012 to 2016. A significant between-person level association was also observed between loneliness and functional limitations, such that greater loneliness levels and greater degree of functional limitations were correlated at the between-person level.

Conclusion: This finding that loneliness and functional limitations shape one another in later life will benefit policymakers, healthcare providers, and researchers in developing targeted interventions and support systems for older adults. Designing interventions addressing both aspects concurrently will enable breaking the potential cycle of negative consequences of loneliness and health among older adults.