Journal of Aging & Social Policy· 2026Q1
Regional Disparities and Loneliness Among Older Adults in South Korea: The Role of Subjective Health
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- Q1SCImago
- 2026year
Short summary
Higher local fiscal autonomy in South Korea was linked to increased loneliness in older adults, except for those in good health, while poor health correlated with lower loneliness in areas with more single-person older households.
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Key points
- Higher local fiscal autonomy is associated with greater loneliness among older adults in South Korea, except for those in good health.
- Older adults in poor health report lower loneliness in regions with a higher proportion of single-person older households.
- Data from 6,037 adults aged 59-103 across 216 districts were analyzed using multilevel models.
- Findings highlight the interplay between regional contexts and individual health status in addressing loneliness.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
Despite increasing policy concerns about loneliness in later life particularly in declining regions, empirical efforts to link these issues with regional disparities remain limited. This study examines whether associations between regional factors and loneliness among older adults vary by health status, using evidence from South Korea. Data from 6,037 adults aged 59-103 across 216 districts were drawn from the 2022 Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging and analyzed using multilevel models. Higher local fiscal autonomy was associated with greater loneliness among older adults, except those in good health. Older adults in poor health reported lower loneliness in regions with a higher proportion of older adult single-person households. These findings underscore the importance of accounting for the interplay between regional contexts and individual health status in policies addressing loneliness in later life.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Journal of Aging & Social Policy, 2026 · DOI ↗
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Field: Health
HealthSocial Sciences