Family Trajectories, Current Social Connections, and Loneliness in Later Life: A Life-Course Analysis of the 1958 British Cohort

Loneliness poses significant health risks for older adults, comparable to smoking and obesity. While research has examined concurrent factors like partnership status and health conditions, few studies adopt a life course perspective to understand how family histories during adulthood shape loneliness in later life. This study addresses this gap by examining how partnership and parenthood trajectories relate to loneliness among older adults in the UK. Our analyses use prospective cohort data, which allow us to measure variables – including early-life confounders – at multiple phases of the life course, rather than relying on retrospective (and potentially biased) recall. Specifically, using cohort data from the National Child Development Study, we analyze adults born in 1958, employing sequence and cluster analysis to identify typologies of family trajectories, and regression models to assess associations between these trajectories and loneliness outcomes at ages 61-66. Additionally, we explore the role of current social connections in reducing loneliness. By accounting for the interplay of family-life experiences, this research provides novel insights into how the timing and sequencing of family transitions influence emotional well-being in older age, showing that those following less standard trajectories are at higher risk of perceiving loneliness. Current interactions with kins and friends contribute to reduce the negative association between specific family trajectories and loneliness later in life.