Remote Social Contact and Loneliness Among the Young-Old, Middle-Old, and Oldest-Old Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The importance of remote communication increased with the onset of the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in 2020. Previous studies have explored the effects of remote communication technology usage on loneliness of older adults classified as aged 65 and above as a whole. Because aging is a gradual process, several studies propose the existence of distinct age categories within the older adult population. However, little is understood about the association between the usage of remote communication technology and loneliness among different age groups within the older adult population during the COVID-19 pandemic. To address this knowledge gap, the study divided older adults into three age groups: young-old, middle-old, and oldest-old, and examined: (1) whether the frequency of remote social contact usage during the COVID-19 pandemic differs among age groups of older adults, and (2) if the association between the use of remote social contact during the COVID-19 pandemic and loneliness differs among age groups of older adults. This study utilized nationally representative data from the National Social Life, Health and Aging Project (NSHAP), Round 3 and the COVID-19 Study. The regression results confirm that the frequency of remote social contact modes usage significantly differed across age groups. However, despite the significant association between in-person contact and lower loneliness observed across all age groups, the utilization of emails, texts, or social media messages among young-old adults was linked to higher levels of loneliness. Among oldest-old adults, an increase in the frequency of in-person contact was associated with phone call usage contributing to an increase in loneliness. These findings emphasize the importance for social work and related fields to enable safe in-person communication for older adults, considering their vulnerability to COVID-19. Furthermore, it is essential to develop accessible remote contact platforms, educate, and allocate resources to improve technology access for older adults, as technology becomes more vital for social connections despite physical limitations.