Digital, social, and built environment influences on loneliness among older adults in China

Loneliness can be experienced at any stage of life, but it is a particular physical and psychological concern for older adults, a growing demographic group in many societies. To date, studies on loneliness have focused mainly on the effect of individual factors. However, it is increasingly recognized that broader societal and contextual factors, such as factors of the social environment, the digital environment, and the built environment also influence loneliness. This research explores the interplay between factors from the digital, social, and physical environment and socio-demographics on the feelings of loneliness of older adults in China. A Bayesian Belief Network estimated with survey data from 198 older adults reveals that there are direct and indirect associations between these factors and loneliness. The results highlight that ICT use affects the loneliness of older adults’ through the social environment. A greater variety of ICT use, both information-orientated and communication-orientated contributes to larger social networks, increasing social support. In addition, factors in the built and social environment exert indirect effects on loneliness through social support. Policymakers are advised to pay more attention to the prevention of loneliness among older adults by promoting the use of smartphone-based ICT, expanding their social networks, and strengthening social support. In addition, creating safe and age-friendly physical environments is crucial, especially in low socioeconomic neighborhoods, to improve social support and mitigate feelings of loneliness.