Cumulative Exposure to Social Isolation and Longitudinal Changes in Life Satisfaction among Older Adults

Abstract

This study examines the longitudinal association between cumulative exposure to social isolation and life satisfaction and whether this association differs by gender. Using seven waves of the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging from 2006 to 2018 (3,543 adults aged 65 or older), fixed effects models were estimated. Cumulative social isolation was longitudinally associated with a decline in life satisfaction in older adults. Gender-specific analyses revealed that older women exposed to cumulative social isolation continued to experience a decline in life satisfaction up to the fourth and subsequent waves of exposure (relative to the initial wave in which there was no social isolation; b = −13.038, p < .001). In contrast, a decline in life satisfaction associated with cumulative social isolation was less pronounced among older men ( b = −6.200 for the fourth and subsequent waves of exposure, p < .05). Cumulative social isolation can be a persistent risk factor for life satisfaction in older adults, particularly older women. The study’s findings hold important implications for programs aimed at reducing social isolation and improving psychological well-being among older adults.