Table 2.
Factors associated with feeling lonely among adolescents in the Czech Republic, Russia and the United States
| Czech Republic | Russia | U.S. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Female | Male | Female | Male | Female | Male | ||
| Characteristic | Categories | Adj. ORa | Adj. ORa | Adj. ORa | Adj. ORa | Adj. ORa | Adj. ORa |
| Demographic | |||||||
| Age (years) | 13 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 |
| 14 | 1.32 (0.77–2.26) | 0.81 (0.35–1.87) | 1.74 (0.89–3.41) | 2.21 (0.81–6.06) | 0.93 (0.65–1.35) | 2.18 (1.24–3.83)** | |
| 15 | 1.48 (0.86–2.56) | 1.09 (0.50–2.36) | 2.32 (1.20–4.49)* | 2.32 (0.74–7.23) | 1.15 (0.45–2.96) | 1.79 (0.47–6.80) | |
| Family structure | Intact | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 |
| Restructured | 0.59 (0.27–1.29) | 1.53 (0.55–4.26) | 1.69 (0.89–3.22) | 1.50 (0.42–5.31) | 0.92 (0.39–2.14) | 0.60 (0.24–1.53) | |
| Single parent | 0.83 (0.42–1.66) | 1.78 (0.75–4.19) | 1.23 (0.69–2.20) | 1.72 (1.00–2.97) | 0.80 (0.50–1.28) | 0.64 (0.37–1.10) | |
| Other | 1.80 (0.50–6.41) | 3.10 (1.12–8.57)* | 2.63 (1.31–5.27)** | 0.81 (0.12–5.35) | 0.94 (0.40–2.18) | 1.30 (0.45–3.69) | |
| Parental education | High vs. Low | 1.23 (0.80–1.89) | 1.01 (0.50–2.05) | 1.15 (0.69–1.91) | 0.96 (0.43–2.13) | 0.86 (0.50–1.46) | 1.25 (0.43–3.67) |
| Household size | ≥3 vs. 2 | 0.70 (0.28–1.73) | 0.81 (0.26–2.54) | 1.65 (0.73–3.69) | 0.54 (0.23–1.28) | 0.77 (0.31–1.89) | 0.90 (0.26–3.16) |
| Parenting | |||||||
| Parental warmthb | 0.89 (0.81–0.98)* | 0.91 (0.81–1.01) | 0.96 (0.87–1.07) | 0.99 (0.86–1.14) | 0.88 (0.79–0.98)* | 0.88 (0.76–1.03) | |
| Parental involvementb | 0.98 (0.91–1.06) | 0.95 (0.86–1.05) | 0.96 (0.91–1.01) | 1.03 (0.91–1.17) | 1.03 (0.93–1.14) | 1.01 (0.89–1.16) | |
| Inconsistent parentingb | 1.03 (0.95–1.11) | 1.08 (1.00–1.16)* | 1.07 (1.03–1.12)** | 1.14 (1.04–1.25)** | 1.09 (1.04–1.15)** | 1.13 (1.03–1.24)* | |
| Friendship ties | |||||||
| Number of close friends | ≥1 vs. 0 | 0.17 (0.05–0.62)** | 2.00 (0.34–11.77) | 0.61 (0.18–2.03) | 0.22 (0.04–1.26) | 1.93 (0.22–16.98) | 0.15 (0.07–0.35)*** |
| Personal characteristics | |||||||
| I am shy | Not true | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 |
| Somewhat true | 1.53 (0.93–2.51) | 1.66 (0.76–3.66) | 1.25 (0.80–1.95) | 1.08 (0.64–1.81) | 0.81 (0.44–1.48) | 2.00 (1.11–3.60)** | |
| Certainly true | 4.32 (2.45–7.64)*** | 4.36 (1.79–10.60)** | 1.98 (1.20–3.27)** | 4.03 (2.08–7.80)*** | 1.36 (0.87–2.14) | 7.37 (3.88–14.00)*** | |
| School-based factors | |||||||
| School attachment (I like school) | True vs. Not true | 1.02 (0.66–1.59) | 0.90 (0.42–1.90) | 1.02 (0.66–1.58) | 0.70 (0.43–1.12) | 0.98 (0.66–1.46) | 0.54 (0.26–1.14) |
| Peer victimisationb | 1.13 (1.07–1.19)*** | 1.05 (0.98–1.12) | 1.10 (1.05–1.15)*** | 1.02 (0.97–1.09) | 1.10 (1.07–1.14)*** | 1.06 (1.03–1.09)*** | |
* P < 0.05, ** P < 0.01, *** P < 0.001
aMutually adjusted for all covariates in the model
bThese variables were composite scores and were included in the regression analysis as continuous variables. Higher scores on the parental warmth, involvement and inconsistency scales refer to higher levels of involvement, warmth and inconsistency, respectively. Higher scores on the peer victimisation scale correspond to higher levels of victimisation (refer to text for details)