This title appears in the Scientific Report :
2020
Please use the identifier:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0898264320943336 in citations.
Please use the identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/2128/26637 in citations.
Loneliness and Health: The Moderating Effect of Cross-cultural Individualism/Collectivism
Loneliness and Health: The Moderating Effect of Cross-cultural Individualism/Collectivism
Objectives: The adverse health effects of loneliness are well documented, but less is known about cultural moderators of this relationship. Contributing to the literature, we examined whether cross-cultural differences in individualism moderate the effect of loneliness on health. Methods: We used po...
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Personal Name(s): | Beller, Johannes |
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Wagner, Adina Svenja (Corresponding author) | |
Contributing Institute: |
Gehirn & Verhalten; INM-7 |
Published in: | Journal of aging and health, 32 (2020) 10, S. 1516-1527 |
Imprint: |
London [u.a.]
Sage Publ.
2020
|
DOI: |
10.1177/0898264320943336 |
Document Type: |
Journal Article |
Research Program: |
(Dys-)function and Plasticity |
Link: |
Get full text OpenAccess |
Publikationsportal JuSER |
Please use the identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/2128/26637 in citations.
Objectives: The adverse health effects of loneliness are well documented, but less is known about cultural moderators of this relationship. Contributing to the literature, we examined whether cross-cultural differences in individualism moderate the effect of loneliness on health. Methods: We used population-based longitudinal data of 14 countries (N = 40,797), as provided by the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe data. Multilevel regression analyses were employed. Moderating effects were analyzed for multiple health outcomes: activities of daily living, instrumental activities of daily living, grip strength, life satisfaction, depression, memory performance, verbal fluency, and numeracy. Results: Cultural individualism significantly moderated the effect of loneliness on health regarding most health outcomes. In general, the effect of loneliness on health became stronger in less individualistic/more collectivistic countries. Discussion: Cultural individualism proved to be one important moderator of the loneliness–health relationship. As previous studies mostly used samples from highly individualistic countries, the current literature might severely underestimate the global public health burden of loneliness. |