Loneliness among older adults with multiple chronic conditions: Exploring disparities for Hispanic adults in the 2023...

Loneliness among older adults is a public health concern negatively impacting those with multimorbidity. As the population continues to age in the United States and the proportion of Hispanics grows, understanding the relationship between loneliness and multimorbidity for Hispanic older adults warrants further examination. Previous studies have explored loneliness and multimorbidity, but examine the impact on Hispanic older adults. To achieve this aim, we assessed loneliness and disparities in the dose-response relationship of multimorbidity in adults aged 65+.

Cross-sectional observational study using data from the 2023 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS).

Weighted analyses represented U.S. adults aged 65+. Descriptive statistics and chi-square tests compared prevalence by ethnicity. Multivariable logistic regression models identified factors associated with loneliness in the overall sample and Hispanic subgroup. Predicted probabilities were plotted to highlight differences by race, ethnicity, and sex.

Among U.S. adults aged 65+, 35.0 % reported feeling lonely. Hispanic older adults reported a higher prevalence of loneliness than non-Hispanic older adults (40.2 % vs 34.5 %) and were more likely to receive inadequate social support (10.7 % vs 6.3 %). Hispanic females showed the strongest dose-response effect, with loneliness increasing from 41 % (no conditions) to 57 % (3+ conditions).

Being Hispanic, regardless of sex, increased likelihood of loneliness and inadequate social support; however, Hispanic older females face the highest levels of loneliness when managing multimorbidity with inadequate social support compared to Hispanic males and individuals of other races/ethnicities. Further research is needed to address these disparities for Hispanics and women in particular.