Chronic Loneliness, Gender, and Trajectories of Change in Hand Grip Strength in Older Adults

Objectives This study examined whether exposure to chronic loneliness is associated with a persistent decline in hand grip strength among community-dwelling older adults in Korea, and this association varies by gender. Methods This study analyzed data from 2,570 adults aged 65 or older collected over the course of 7 waves (12 years) of the Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing from 2006 to 2018 (1,403 women and 1,167 men). Exposure to chronic loneliness was assessed by the experience of loneliness over a period of years, and hand grip strength was measured by an objective diagnostic tool. Gender-stratified fixed effects models were estimated to determine whether the association between chronic loneliness and hand grip strength differs by gender while accounting for time-invariant individual heterogeneity. Results Chronic loneliness was associated with a persistent decline in hand grip strength in older adults over an extended period of time. Gender-specific analyses revealed that only men continued to experience a decline in hand grip strength up to the fifth and subsequent waves of exposure (b = -1.889). By contrast, for older women, a significant decrease in hand grip strength was observed only in the second wave of exposure (b = -0.690). These gendered trajectories were statistically significant. Discussion Chronic loneliness impairs the physical health of older adults in the long run. These physical health consequences of chronic loneliness were more pronounced among older men than older women. The study's findings inform the development of interventions that mitigate the adverse health consequences of chronic loneliness.