An intersectional and life course approach to loneliness in middle-aged and older adults: generating evidence for tailored and equitable action

Project Summary

As the world returns to pre-pandemic socializing, loneliness continues to rise. This trend has consequences, as loneliness can lead to different chronic conditions and premature death. Experts agree that current ‘one-size-fits-all’ strategies to address loneliness are not enough to stop this crisis. Interventions need to be tailored to respond to the complexity of loneliness, but few studies examine how people of different identities or social positions experience loneliness. Our research will provide critical information to improve our health system response to loneliness by bringing equity and diversity to the forefront. We will analyze data from CLSA to estimate the prevalence of loneliness across intersecting subgroups and examine how an individual’s identity or social position may interact with features of their neighbourhood to increase or decrease loneliness risk. Our research can lead to a more equitable and effective response to the growing public health issue of loneliness.