Table 2.
Social support and the loneliness of the MEFC in Jinan, China
| Variables | N (%) | Mean score of ULS-8 (SD) | F value | P value |
| Total | 656 (100) | 12.82 (4.05) | ||
| Ways of talking in trouble | ||||
| Never talk to anyone | 127 (19.4) | 13.61 (4.63) | 5.927 | 0.001 |
| Only talk to one or two persons | 174 (26.5) | 12.92 (4.09) | ||
| Will talk to the friend who takes the initiative to inquiry | 120 (18.3) | 13.46 (4.11) | ||
| Take the initiative to talk about my own troubles | 235 (35.8) | 12.00 (3.51) | ||
| Ways of seeking help in trouble | ||||
| Just rely on myself | 128 (19.5) | 12.52 (4.15) | 13.881 | <0.001 |
| Rarely ask someone for help | 132 (20.1) | 14.44 (4.21) | ||
| Sometimes ask someone for help | 123 (18.8) | 13.47 (4.08) | ||
| Often ask family, friends or organisations for help | 273 (41.6) | 11.89 (3.62) | ||
| Attending organised activities for groups | ||||
| Never attend | 474 (72.3) | 12.75 (4.11) | 6.989 | <0.001 |
| Occasionally attend | 118 (18.0) | 13.94 (3.96) | ||
| Often attend | 34 (5.2) | 12.09 (3.47) | ||
| Take the initiative to attend | 30 (4.6) | 10.47 (2.69) |
SD, Standard deviation; ULS-8, eight-item version of University of California Los Angeles Loneliness Scale.