Living Alone, Loneliness, and Psychological Well-Being of Older Persons in Singapore

Table 1

Baseline characteristics and well-being of older adults by living arrangement (𝑁=2799).

	Living alone (𝑁=211)				Living with others (𝑁=2588)				t	𝜒^2	𝑃
	Mean	%	SD	N	Mean	%	SD	N
Age, years	67.5		7.47		65.9		7.67		2.90		0.004
Gender
Male		21.3		45		38.0		976		23.3	<0.001
Female		78.7		166		62.0		1592
Race
Chinese		91.0		192		93.5		2401		6.60	0.04
Non-Chinese		9.0		19		6.50		167
Marital status
Single		28.0		59		4.00		104		455.2	<0.001
Married		16.1		34		78.5		2017
Divorced/Separated		13.7		29		2.50		61
Widowed		42.2		89		15.0		385
Education
None		28.0		59		18.3		470		14.0	0.007
Primary (1–6 years)		27.5		58		33.6		864
Secondary (7–10 years)		32.2		68		31.7		814
Postsecondary		6.60		14		9.70		250
University		5.70		12		6.70		170
Loneliness status
Lonely		24.2		51		10.9		279		36.5	<0.001
Not lonely		75.8		160		89.1		2309
Social contact score	1.60		0.89		1.36		0.68		4.87		<0.001
Social activities score	3.10		2.29		2.99		2.21		0.68		0.50
Production activities score	4.00		1.78		3.82		1.92		1.34		0.18
Fitness activities score	2.29		1.91		2.52		1.99		−1.60		0.11
Health activities score	5.74		1.81		5.73		1.83		0.03		0.98
No. of medical problems	2.05		1.45		1.98		1.78		0.61		0.54
Baseline ADL	19.9		0.51		19.7		1.48		1.33		0.18
Baseline GDS	2.45		3.39		1.85		2.67		3.07		0.002
Baseline MMSE	26.5		3.53		26.9		3.58		−1.41		0.16
Baseline SF-12_MCS	54.2		7.73		53.7		8.18		0.88		0.38
	Lonely (𝑁=334)				Not lonely (𝑁=2465)				t	𝜒^2	𝑃
	Mean	%	SD	N	Mean	%	SD	N
Age, years	67.5		8.64		65.9		7.49		3.40		0.001
Gender
Male		38.3		128		36.9		830		0.25	0.62
Female		61.7		206		63.1		1419
Race
Chinese		90.4		302		93.7		830		5.57	0.06
Non-Chinese		9.60		32		6.30		142
Marital status
Single		10.5		35		5.10		115		64.5	<0.001
Married		57.5		192		76.4		1719
Divorced/Separated		7.50		25		2.40		55
Widowed		24.5		81		15.9		357
Education
None		17.7		59		19.8		445		2.86	0.58
Primary (1–6 years)		35.3		118		32.2		725
Secondary (7–10 years)		31.7		106		31.5		709
Postsecondary		8.10		27		9.90		222
University		7.20		24		6.60		148
Social contact score	1.61		0.87		1.32		0.65		7.35		<0.001
Social activities score	2.53		1.94		3.10		2.25		−4.39		<0.001
Production activities score	3.30		1.94		3.93		1.89		−5.70		<0.001
Fitness activities score	2.17		1.96		2.57		1.99		−3.44		0.001
Health activities score	5.14		1.98		5.84		1.80		−6.55		<0.001
No. of medical problems	2.20		1.46		1.94		1.80		2.60		0.01
Baseline ADL	19.6		1.73		19.8		1.40		−2.08		0.04
Baseline GDS	4.57		3.99		1.28		1.91		24.5		<0.001
Baseline MMSE	26.2		4.30		27.0		3.41		−3.56		<0.001
Baseline SF-12_MCS	48.6		10.1		54.9		7.09		−7.81		<0.001