TITLE:
Loneliness Prevalence and Socioeconomic Inequalities in Older Adults in Chile: A Gender Perspective
AUTHORS:
Pedro Olivares-Tirado
KEYWORDS:
Loneliness, Socioeconomic Inequalities, Inequality Index, Older Adults, Chile
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Social Sciences,
Vol.14 No.4,
April
15,
2026
ABSTRACT: Aim: Socioeconomic disparities significantly influence the risk of loneliness among community-dwelling older adults. This study investigates the impact of inequalities in educational attainment and household income on the prevalence of loneliness among older adults in Chile. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we included 6755 participants aged 60 and above from the 2023/2024 National Quality of Life and Health Survey. Loneliness was measured using the Three-Item Lonely Scale (TILS). Educational attainment was defined by the highest degree obtained or current enrollment, and household income was defined as total gross monthly income, grouped into quintiles. Separate Poisson regression models, adjusted for confounders, were used to assess gender and age group differences in the prevalence of loneliness across socioeconomic strata. Results: Overall, 23.4% of participants reported feeling lonely, with a higher prevalence among men than women. Disparities in household income had a greater impact on loneliness than educational attainment. Elevated adjusted inequality indices suggest that additional factors contribute to loneliness in this population. With the exception of women aged 60 - 69, substantial disparities in income and education across the social gradient—from worst-off to best-off—affected older men more than women in all age groups. However, these differences were not statistically significant. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that socioeconomic disparities in household income and educational attainment strongly influence loneliness among older adults in Chile, particularly among men. These findings can inform the development of structural interventions, such as reducing income inequality, strengthening social protection systems, and investing in community infrastructure. In addition, individual-level strategies—including targeted preventive programs and timely social and medical support for the most vulnerable groups—are also recommended.