The association between childlessness and loneliness in later life: does friendship play a moderating role?

While loneliness is a common experience among midlife and older adults, those without children may be more vulnerable. Childless adults may place more emphasis on friendships to alleviate feelings of loneliness compared to parents. This study explored the association between parental status and loneliness among adults aged 50+ years and whether this association was moderated by perceived friendship quality.

Using combined data from the 2016 and 2018 waves of the Health and Retirement Study, the sample included 11,670 adults aged 50 years and older. Loneliness was measured using the 11-item UCLA Loneliness Scale. Parental status was operationalized as having any living children. Friend support (3-item scale) and friend strain (4-item scale) were included as moderating variables. Multiple imputation was used to address missingness and ordinary least squares regression was conducted.

Bivariate and multivariate regression analysis indicated that childless adults were lonelier than adults with one or more living children. Findings indicated that friendships characterized by support were associated with lower loneliness, and friend support was more strongly linked with reduced loneliness among adults without any children.

Adults aged 50+ years without children may not reap the positive social benefits of having children, including the provision of emotional companionship, leading to increased loneliness. However, having friendships characterized by higher levels of support and lower levels of strain are best for reducing loneliness among adults aged 50+ years without children. Future research should further explore whether friendships reduce loneliness among childless older adults.