Table 2.
Mean loneliness score and prevalence of loneliness pre-COVID-19 (2015–2018) and during COVID-19 (Sep 29-Dec 29, 2020)
| Pre-COVID-19 (n = 44,817) | During COVID-19 (n = 24,114) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
LONELINESS SCORE (n = 44,374) |
Lonely (n = 10,285) | LONELINESS SCORE (n = 23,619) | Lonely (n = 8,587) | |||||
| VARIABLESa | Mean | Std | n | % | Mean | Std | n | % |
| OVERALL | 3.86 | 1.33 | 4.29 | 1.56 | ||||
| Age Group | ||||||||
| < 55 | 3.86 | 1.35 | 1513 | 22.93 | 4.32 | 1.57 | 330 | 37.08 |
| 55–64 | 3.88 | 1.37 | 3440 | 23.32 | 4.30 | 1.57 | 2579 | 36.14 |
| 65–74 | 3.81 | 1.29 | 2852 | 21.44 | 4.31 | 1.58 | 3186 | 35.98 |
| 75 + | 3.90 | 1.31 | 2480 | 24.40 | 4.26 | 1.52 | 2492 | 34.46 |
| Sex | ||||||||
| Female | 3.95 | 1.38 | 5793 | 25.25 | 4.46 | 1.63 | 5201 | 40.57 |
| Male | 3.77 | 1.27 | 4492 | 20.54 | 4.09 | 1.44 | 3386 | 29.98 |
| Ethnicity | ||||||||
| Non-European | 4.05 | 1.47 | 887 | 28.32 | 4.35 | 1.64 | 541 | 36.43 |
| European | 3.84 | 1.32 | 9282 | 22.49 | 4.29 | 1.55 | 7975 | 35.54 |
| Missing | 4.07 | 1.49 | 116 | 28.16 | 4.26 | 1.64 | 71 | 37.37 |
| Education | ||||||||
| Less than secondary school graduation | 4.17 | 1.53 | 839 | 31.42 | 4.29 | 1.62 | 377 | 33.99 |
| Secondary school graduation, no post-secondary education | 3.88 | 1.34 | 1120 | 23.65 | 4.28 | 1.58 | 834 | 35.13 |
| Post-secondary education/degree/diploma | 3.84 | 1.31 | 8294 | 22.23 | 4.29 | 1.55 | 7360 | 35.75 |
| Missing | 4.29 | 1.65 | 32 | 31.07 | 4.53 | 1.94 | 16 | 37.21 |
| Annual Household Income | ||||||||
| < $20,000 | 4.86 | 1.85 | 984 | 47.24 | 4.84 | 1.83 | 411 | 47.74 |
| $20,000-$49,999 | 4.14 | 1.47 | 3114 | 31.36 | 4.53 | 1.68 | 2001 | 41.22 |
| $50,000-$99,999 | 3.79 | 1.26 | 3220 | 21.29 | 4.27 | 1.54 | 3007 | 35.08 |
| $100,000-$149,999 | 3.60 | 1.08 | 1261 | 16.15 | 4.14 | 1.45 | 1469 | 32.01 |
| ≥ $150,000 | 3.49 | 0.98 | 837 | 12.65 | 4.04 | 1.38 | 1108 | 29.48 |
| Missing | 4.08 | 1.49 | 869 | 26.70 | 4.44 | 1.65 | 591 | 39.93 |
| Number of People Living in the Same Household | ||||||||
| Living alone | 4.46 | 1.59 | 4150 | 38.77 | 4.89 | 1.76 | 3043 | 50.79 |
| Not | 3.67 | 1.17 | 5969 | 17.95 | 4.08 | 1.42 | 5352 | 30.30 |
| Missing | 4.06 | 1.48 | 166 | 19.48 | 4.53 | 1.64 | 192 | 41.74 |
| Dwelling Type | ||||||||
| House (single detached, semi-detached, duplex or townhouse) | 3.77 | 1.26 | 7319 | 20.59 | 4.21 | 1.51 | 6326 | 33.76 |
| Apartment or condominium | 4.18 | 1.53 | 2519 | 31.46 | 4.59 | 1.69 | 1905 | 42.96 |
| Other | 4.32 | 1.61 | 446 | 35.42 | 4.50 | 1.73 | 347 | 38.13 |
| Missing | 4.00 | 1.00 | 1 | 33.33 | 4.04 | 1.40 | 9 | 30.00 |
| Living Area | ||||||||
| Rural | 3.84 | 1.32 | 1489 | 22.36 | 4.13 | 1.47 | 1346 | 31.46 |
| Urban | 3.87 | 1.33 | 8788 | 23.05 | 4.32 | 1.57 | 7193 | 36.50 |
| Missing | 4.10 | 1.54 | 8 | 25.81 | 4.48 | 1.85 | 48 | 36.92 |
| Provinces/Territories | ||||||||
| Newfoundland | 3.78 | 1.25 | 613 | 21.26 | 4.01 | 1.41 | 380 | 27.74 |
| Prince Edward Island | 3.83 | 1.34 | 187 | 21.35 | 4.01 | 1.41 | 116 | 29.82 |
| Nova Scotia | 3.75 | 1.30 | 788 | 19.65 | 4.05 | 1.49 | 624 | 29.00 |
| New Brunswick | 3.99 | 1.45 | 287 | 27.00 | 4.11 | 1.58 | 136 | 29.89 |
| Quebec | 3.98 | 1.34 | 2251 | 26.34 | 4.31 | 1.55 | 1576 | 36.20 |
| Ontario | 3.83 | 1.32 | 2136 | 21.73 | 4.34 | 1.58 | 2053 | 36.79 |
| Manitoba | 3.83 | 1.33 | 900 | 22.62 | 4.45 | 1.63 | 866 | 39.63 |
| Saskatchewan | 4.06 | 1.45 | 304 | 28.60 | 4.42 | 1.58 | 237 | 41.73 |
| Alberta | 3.86 | 1.35 | 1068 | 23.79 | 4.36 | 1.55 | 917 | 38.00 |
| British Columbia | 3.83 | 1.33 | 1749 | 21.66 | 4.31 | 1.56 | 1677 | 36.13 |
| Missingb | 5 | 1 | 2 | 66.67 | 5.57 | 1.99 | 5 | 71.43 |
| Depression | ||||||||
| Negative screen for depression | 3.64 | 1.08 | 6244 | 17.02 | 3.90 | 1.22 | 4781 | 25.78 |
| Positive screen for depression | 5.08 | 1.82 | 3730 | 55.75 | 5.70 | 1.80 | 3746 | 71.78 |
| Missing | 3.95 | 1.42 | 311 | 21.45 | 4.39 | 1.64 | 60 | 17.24 |
| Number of Chronic Conditions | ||||||||
| 0 | 3.62 | 1.11 | 858 | 16.36 | 4.04 | 1.39 | 826 | 29.56 |
| 1 | 3.68 | 1.18 | 1508 | 17.62 | 4.09 | 1.41 | 1468 | 30.74 |
| 2 | 3.77 | 1.23 | 1890 | 21.07 | 4.23 | 1.53 | 1725 | 34.06 |
| 3 + | 4.04 | 1.45 | 5612 | 27.63 | 4.47 | 1.65 | 4221 | 40.08 |
| Missing | 3.89 | 1.40 | 417 | 24.06 | 4.34 | 1.62 | 347 | 36.56 |
| Type of Alcohol Drinker | ||||||||
| Non-drinkers during last 12 months (including participants who never had alcohol) | 4.11 | 1.57 | 1757 | 29.25 | 4.36 | 1.63 | 1603 | 36.85 |
| Binge drinker | 3.90 | 1.40 | 459 | 23.00 | 4.29 | 1.56 | 648 | 35.64 |
| Regular drinker | 3.76 | 1.23 | 6328 | 20.49 | 4.24 | 1.51 | 5207 | 34.70 |
| Occasional drinker | 4.11 | 1.49 | 1725 | 29.42 | 4.45 | 1.66 | 1109 | 40.24 |
| Missing | 4.13 | 1.78 | 16 | 25.81 | 4.15 | 1.44 | 20 | 10.75 |
| Type of Smoker | ||||||||
| Current smoker | 4.23 | 1.62 | 1019 | 31.02 | 4.51 | 1.72 | 577 | 39.85 |
| Former smoker | 3.84 | 1.30 | 6146 | 22.50 | 4.29 | 1.56 | 5256 | 35.68 |
| Never smoked | 3.82 | 1.30 | 3059 | 21.91 | 4.24 | 1.52 | 2599 | 34.55 |
| Missing | 3.83 | 1.22 | 61 | 23.64 | 4.38 | 1.57 | 155 | 37.44 |
| Physical Activityc | ||||||||
| Low risk | 3.68 | 1.17 | 2358 | 18.16 | 4.18 | 1.46 | 2501 | 33.10 |
| At risk | 3.93 | 1.39 | 7921 | 24.90 | 4.34 | 1.60 | 6036 | 36.77 |
| Missing | 4.31 | 2.06 | 6 | 27.27 | 4.36 | 1.67 | 50 | 34.48 |
| Social Participationd | ||||||||
| Low social participation | 4.24 | 1.62 | 3037 | 32.86 | 4.51 | 1.73 | 1783 | 39.95 |
| High social participation | 3.75 | 1.22 | 7012 | 20.32 | 4.24 | 1.51 | 6705 | 34.60 |
| Missing | 4.10 | 1.52 | 236 | 22.24 | 4.42 | 1.67 | 99 | 36.40 |
aSex, ethnicity and education come from CLSA baseline for both FUP1 and COVID-exit; all other variables for FUP1 are from FUP1 sample; all other variables for COVID-exit are from the COVID-exit sample except for income, social participation, number of CCs, physical activity which come from FUP1 and number of people living in the same HH, dwelling type, living area (urban/rural), type of smoker, province which come from COVID baseline
bThree individuals who lived in Yukon and Nunavut at the time of the COVID-19 exit interview were added to the missing category and excluded from analyses
cPhysical Activity: low risk = at least 150 min of moderate-intensity or at least 75 min of vigorous-intensity physical activity per week; high risk = less than 150 min of moderate-intensity or at least 75 min of vigorous-intensity physical activity per week
dSocial Participation: low social participation = in the lowest sex- and age-specific quintiles of social participation; high social participation = in the top four sex- and age-specific quintiles of social participation