Regional Disparities and Loneliness Among Older Adults in South Korea: The Role of Subjective Health

Abstract

Despite increasing policy concerns about loneliness in later life particularly in declining regions, empirical efforts to link these issues with regional disparities remain limited. This study examines whether associations between regional factors and loneliness among older adults vary by health status, using evidence from South Korea. Data from 6,037 adults aged 59-103 across 216 districts were drawn from the 2022 Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging and analyzed using multilevel models. Higher local fiscal autonomy was associated with greater loneliness among older adults, except those in good health. Older adults in poor health reported lower loneliness in regions with a higher proportion of older adult single-person households. These findings underscore the importance of accounting for the interplay between regional contexts and individual health status in policies addressing loneliness in later life.