Mortality risk of loneliness: Culture matters

What is it about?

Loneliness is a major public health concern associated with decreased longevity. Using a harmonized cross-national dataset, we show that the relationship between loneliness and mortality is culture-bound. The 10-year mortality risk of loneliness was more than two times greater in Korea than in England, the U.S., and Mexico. For example, after controlling for demographic variables and health behaviors, loneliness was associated with a 13%, 21%, and 21% increased mortality risk in England, the U.S., and Mexico, respectively, while it was associated with a 51% increased risk in Korea. That is, Koreans who felt lonely at baseline were 1.51 times more likely to die within 10 years compared to those who were not lonely.

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Photo by micheile henderson on Unsplash

Photo by micheile henderson on Unsplash

Why is it important?

The mortality risk of loneliness is well-documented. But prior evidence draws primarily on populations from North America and Western Europe - i.e., the cultural groups often referred to as WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic; Henrich et al., 2010). Our study is the first to systematically compare the mortality hazard of loneliness across four countries, exceeding the boundary of WEIRD societies. Our analysis shows that when people feel that they are chronically isolated from social networks, this perception can be fatal in Korea, but it is less so in the U.S., England, and Mexico. These results underscore the need for more culturally inclusive research to globalize the theories on the health impact of social isolation.