Financial strain and loneliness among older adults: the moderating role of neighborhood cohesion.

OBJECTIVES

This study examines the association between financial strain and loneliness among adults aged 66 years and older. Guided by stress-buffering and gender socialization perspectives, it also assesses whether neighborhood cohesion moderates this association and whether this moderation varies by gender.

METHODS

Using two waves of the United Kingdom Household Longitudinal Study that include measures of loneliness and neighborhood cohesion (n = 3,467 individuals; 6,934 person-wave observations), fixed-effects regression models examined whether within-individual changes in financial strain were associated with changes in loneliness over time. Interaction terms assessed moderation by neighborhood cohesion and whether this moderation varied by gender.

RESULTS

Financial strain was associated with increased loneliness over time, whereas higher neighborhood cohesion was associated with lower loneliness. Neighborhood cohesion attenuated the adverse association between financial strain and loneliness. Gender-stratified analyses showed that this buffering effect was statistically significant among women but not among men; however, the three-way interaction among financial strain, neighborhood cohesion, and gender was not statistically significant.

DISCUSSION: The findings highlight the need for community-based initiatives that foster neighborhood cohesion and for targeted financial support programs to reduce financial strain and its psychological consequences among older adults.