Table 1.

Episodic and chronic loneliness by participant characteristics, n (%) [weighted%].

	Episodic (n = 2222)	Crude OR (95% CI)	AORa (95% CI)	Chronic (n = 1458)	OR (95% CI)	AORa (95% CI)	Any loneliness (n = 3680)	OR (95% CI)	AORa (95% CI)
Sex
Female	1236 (21) [22]	Ref	Ref	819 (14) [13]	Ref	Ref	2055 (35) [35]	Ref	Ref
Male	986 (20) [20]	0.91 (0.83–1.00)	0.96 (0.87–1.06)	639 (13) [13]	0.90 (0.80–1.00)	0.97 (0.86–1.10)	1625 (32) [33]	0.89 (0.82–0.96)**	0.96 (0.88–1.05)
Age group
15–29	362 (21) [22]	1.04 (0.90–1.21)	1.02 (0.86–1.21)	217 (13) [12]	0.87 (0.73–1.04)	0.77 (0.62–0.94)**	579 (34) [35]	0.96 (0.84–1.09)	0.87 (0.75–0.97)
30–44	541 (21) [22]	Ref	Ref	379 (14) [14]	Ref	Ref	920 (35) [35]	Ref	Ref
45–59	572 (19) [19]	0.90 (0.79–1.03)	0.89 (0.77–1.03)	436 (14) [14]	1.00 (0.86–1.16)	0.88 (0.74–1.04)	1008 (33) [33]	0.93 (0.83–1.04)	0.85 (0.75–0.97)*
60–74	529 (21) [20]	1.02 (0.89–1.16)	0.95 (0.78–1.15)	290 (11) [12]	0.77 (0.65–0.90)**	0.62 (0.49–0.78)***	819 (32) [32]	0.89 (0.79–0.99)*	0.74 (0.62–0.88)***
75 +	218 (22) [21]	1.08 (0.90–1.28)	0.89 (0.69–1.15)	136 (14) [13]	0.93 (0.76–1.15)	0.59 (0.43–0.81)**	354 (35) [34]	1.02 (0.87–1.18)	0.67 (0.54–0.85)***
Household structure
Couple w child	510 (20) [21]	Ref	Ref	316 (12) [10]	Ref	Ref	826 (32) [31]	Ref	Ref
Couple wo child	677 (18) [18]	0.92 (0.81–1.05)	0.87 (0.74–1.01)	330 (9) [9]	0.71 (0.61–0.84)***	0.75 (0.62–0.92)**	1007 (27) [27]	0.81 (0.73–0.90)***	0.80 (0.70–0.92)**
Lone parent w child	76 (29) [30]	1.64 (1.24–2.18)***	1.21 (0.89–1.63)	72 (27) [29]	2.69 (2.00–3.61)***	1.64 (1.19–2.27)**	148 (55) [59]	2.69 (2.09–3.47)***	1.68 (1.28–2.21)***
Lone person	473 (25) [26]	1.40 (1.21–1.61)***	1.14 (0.96–1.36)	400 (21) [22]	1.98 (1.69–2.33)***	1.66 (1.36–2.03)***	873 (47) [47]	1.90 (1.68–2.15)***	1.52 (1.30–1.77)***
Other	486 (20) [21]	1.03 (0.89–1.18)	1.01 (0.86–1.19)	340 (14) [15]	1.18 (1.00–1.39)	1.20 (0.99–1.45)	826 (34) [36]	1.11 (0.98–1.24)	1.12 (0.98–1.29)
Country of birthb
Australia	1729 (20) [20]	Ref	Ref	1178 (14) [14]	Ref	Ref	2907 (34) [34]	Ref	Ref
Other English speaking	216 (20) [21]	0.97 (0.83–1.14)	1.01 (0.86–1.19)	139 (13) [13]	0.91 (0.76–1.10)	1.03 (0.85–1.26)	355 (32) [33]	0.94 (0.82–1.07)	1.02 (0.88–1.18)
Other non-English speaking	276 (23) [25]	1.18 (1.02–1.37)*	1.22 (1.01–1.48)*	140 (12) [10]	0.83 (0.69–1.00)*	0.82 (0.64–1.05)	416 (35) [35]	1.03 (0.91–1.17)	1.06 (0.89–1.26)
Speak language other than English
No	2000 (20) [20]	Ref	Ref	1331 (14) [14]	Ref	Ref	3331 (34) [34]	Ref	Ref
Yes	222 (22) [24]	1.11 (0.95–1.30)	0.98 (0.79–1.20)	127 (13) [11]	0.92 (0.76–1.12)	1.06 (0.82–1.38)	349 (35) [34]	1.04 (0.90–1.19)	1.00 (0.83–1.21)
Household incomeb
150,000 +	427 (15) [16]	Ref	Ref	239 (9) [9]	Ref	Ref	666 (24) [24]	Ref	Ref
80,000–149,999	680 (20) [21]	1.36 (1.19–1.55)***	1.27 (1.10–1.45)***	399 (12) [12]	1.40 (1.18–1.66)***	1.26 (1.05–1.50)*	1079 (31) [33]	1.45 (1.30–1.63)***	1.31 (1.16–1.47)***
< 80,000	1093 (24) [25]	1.80 (1.59–2.04)***	1.49 (1.27–1.74)***	801 (18) [18]	2.34 (2.01–2.73)***	1.66 (1.36–2.02)***	1894 (42) [42]	2.36 (2.13–2.62)***	1.73 (1.51–1.98)***
Employment statusb
Full time	872 (19) [19]	Ref	Ref	530 (11) [11]	Ref	Ref	1402 (30) [30]	Ref	Ref
Part time	438 (19) [20]	1.05 (0.92–1.19)	0.96 (0.84–1.10)	276 (12) [12]	1.09 (0.93–1.27)	0.97 (0.82–1.15)	714 (31) [32]	1.08 (0.97–1.20)	0.96 (0.85–1.08)
Retired	558 (21) [21]	1.19 (1.06–1.34)**	0.94 (0.77–1.14)	328 (13) [12]	1.13 (0.97–1.30)	0.92 (0.72–1.16)	886 (34) [33]	1.20 (1.09–1.33)***	0.90 (0.76–1.07)
Unemployed	79 (29) [29]	1.76 (1.34–2.31)***	1.33 (1.01–1.77)*	70 (25) [25]	2.67 (2.01–3.56)***	1.66 (1.22–2.25)**	149 (54) [54]	2.76 (2.16–3.53)***	1.80 (1.39–2.33)***
Otherc	274 (27) [28]	1.61 (1.38–1.89)***	1.21 (1.02–1.44)*	253 (25) [26]	2.60 (2.19–3.07)***	1.57 (1.29–1.91)***	527 (52) [54]	2.52 (2.19–2.89)***	1.60 (1.37–1.87)***
SEIFA IRSAD quintile
5	409 (17) [18]	Ref	Ref	244 (10) [11]	Ref	Ref	653 (28) [30]	Ref	Ref
4	405 (18) [18]	1.03 (0.89–1.20)	0.99 (0.85–1.15)	231 (10) [10]	0.98 (0.81–1.18)	0.89 (0.73–1.08)	636 (28) [27]	1.01 (0.89–1.15)	0.94 (0.82–1.07)
3	419 (20) [21]	1.17 (1.01–1.36)*	1.08 (0.92–1.26)	282 (13) [14]	1.33 (1.11–1.59)**	1.13 (0.93–1.37)	701 (33) [35]	1.29 (1.13–1.46)***	1.12 (0.98–1.28)
2	474 (22) [22]	1.33 (1.15–1.54)***	1.15 (0.98–1.34)	329 (15) [15]	1.55 (1.30–1.85)***	1.19 (0.98–1.44)	803 (37) [37]	1.53 (1.35–1.74)***	1.21 (1.06–1.38)**
1	515 (26) [27]	1.69 (1.46–1.95)***	1.36 (1.16–1.59)***	372 (19) [17]	2.02 (1.69–2.40)***	1.34 (1.11–1.62)**	887 (45) [44]	2.14 (1.88–2.43)***	1.50 (1.31–1.73)***
Long term health conditionb
No	1415 (19) [20]	Ref	Ref	784 (10) [10]	Ref	Ref	2199 (29) [30]	Ref	Ref
Yes	806 (24) [24]	1.40 (1.27–1.54)***	1.24 (1.11–1.39)***	673 (20) [21]	2.21 (1.97–2.47)***	2.01 (1.76–2.29)***	1479 (45) [44]	1.97 (1.81–2.14)***	1.75 (1.59–1.93)***

Significant values are in bold.

SEIFA Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas, IRSAD Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage, with quintile 5 indicating the highest levels of socio-economic advantage and quintile 1 the lowest levels of socio-economic advantage. p values included where significant.

*p < 0.05; **p < 0.01; ***p < 0.001, ^an = 10,738. Significant results are represented in black font. All variables included in the model, ^bMissing data from ‘don’t know’, ‘refused’ or ‘unable to determine value’, ^cOther includes home duties, non-working students and other (unspecified).