Population and Health Sciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom.
PLoS One. 2021 Jul 26;16(7):e0255088. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0255088. eCollection 2021.
Loneliness is associated with increased rates of morbidity and mortality, and is a growing public health concern in later life. This study aimed to produce an evidence-based estimate of the prevalence of loneliness amongst older people (aged 60 years and above).
Systematic review and random-effects meta-analysis of observational studies from high income countries 2008 to 2020, identified from searches of five electronic databases (Medline, EMBASE, PsychINFO, CINAHL, Proquest Social Sciences Premium Collection). Studies were included if they measured loneliness in an unselected population.
Thirty-nine studies reported data on 120,000 older people from 29 countries. Thirty-one studies were suitable for meta-analysis. The pooled prevalence estimate of loneliness was 28.5% (95%CI: 23.9% - 33.2%). In twenty-nine studies reporting loneliness severity, the pooled prevalence was 25.9% (95%CI: 21.6% - 30.3%) for moderate loneliness and 7.9% (95%CI: 4.8% - 11.6%) for severe loneliness (z = -6.1, p < 0.001). Similar pooled prevalence estimates were observed for people aged 65-75 years (27.6%, 95%CI: 22.6% - 33.0%) and over 75 years (31.3%, 95%CI: 21.0% - 42.7%, z = 0.64, p = 0.52). Lower levels of loneliness were reported in studies from Northern Europe compared to South and Eastern Europe.
Loneliness is common amongst older adults affecting approximately one in four in high income countries. There is no evidence of an increase in the prevalence of loneliness with age in the older population. The burden of loneliness is an important public health and social problem, despite severe loneliness being uncommon.
CRD42017060472.
孤独与发病率和死亡率的增加有关，是老年人中日益严重的公共卫生问题。本研究旨在对老年人（60 岁及以上）的孤独感患病率进行基于证据的估计。
对 2008 年至 2020 年来自高收入国家的观察性研究进行系统评价和随机效应荟萃分析，从五个电子数据库（Medline、EMBASE、PsychINFO、CINAHL、Proquest Social Sciences Premium Collection）中检索到这些研究。如果研究在未选择的人群中测量孤独感，则将其纳入研究。
39 项研究报告了来自 29 个国家的 120000 名老年人的数据。31 项研究适合进行荟萃分析。孤独感的汇总患病率估计为 28.5%（95%CI：23.9% - 33.2%）。在 29 项报告孤独感严重程度的研究中，中度孤独感的汇总患病率为 25.9%（95%CI：21.6% - 30.3%），重度孤独感的患病率为 7.9%（95%CI：4.8% - 11.6%）（z = -6.1，p < 0.001）。对于 65-75 岁（27.6%，95%CI：22.6% - 33.0%）和 75 岁以上（31.3%，95%CI：21.0% - 42.7%，z = 0.64，p = 0.52）的人群，也观察到类似的汇总患病率估计值。与南欧和东欧相比，北欧的研究报告孤独感水平较低。
孤独感在高收入国家的老年人群体中很常见，大约每四个老年人中就有一个。在老年人群中，孤独感的患病率并没有随着年龄的增长而增加。尽管严重的孤独感并不常见，但孤独感的负担是一个重要的公共卫生和社会问题。
PROSPERO 注册号：CRD42017060472。
