Background

Social isolation is a common and serious health issue in the older community-dwelling adults that leads to negative consequences such as suicidal thoughts, psychological distress, as well as a decline in welfare, health and quality of life.

Objectives

This study aimed to determined the prevalence of social isolation and related factors in older Iranian adults.

Material and methods

This cross-sectional study was performed on 290 older community-dwelling Iranian adults using a multistage sampling method in Shahroud, Iran. Social isolation was measured using the Lubben Social Network Scale-18 (LSNS-18) with a score higher than 36. Data was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics (multivariate logistic regression). The significance level was set at 0.05.

Results

The prevalence of social isolation was 57.9%. Marriage history (married or deceased spouse – divorced), higher education and living arrangements (living with a spouse or with a spouse and children) were factors associated with lower social isolation; however, social isolation was higher in older adults with two or more children (p = 0.03).

Conclusions

A high percentage of older Iranian adults suffer from social isolation. It is suggested that older adults not live alone, get married and have academic education as much as possible, and it is necessary to take extensive measures to reduce this social issue.