Latent class analysis of health lifestyle among older adults living alone and associations with life satisfaction and depressive symptoms

Background: Little is known about the collective patterns of health-related behaviors of older adults living alone. We aimed to identify subgroups of older adults living alone based on their health lifestyle and examine the relationship between these subgroups and sociodemographic characteristics, life satisfaction, and depressive symptoms. Methods: A total of 3137 older adults living alone were sampled from the 2020 National Survey of Older Koreans. Latent class analysis was performed using 11 health-related behaviors: smoking; alcohol consumption; fruit, vegetable, and dairy product consumption; exercise; cultural leisure; social groups; educational activities; health check-ups; and dementia screening. Multinomial logistic and multiple linear regression analyses were performed. Results: Three classes were identified: Consistently Healthy (CH), Moderately Healthy but Inactive (MHI), and Unhealthy but Active (UA). Compared to the CH, members of the MHI tend to have no formal education and rarely meet relatives. Members of the UA were more likely to be male and employed. The MHI and UA were more likely to have lower incomes, meet with children less frequently or have no children, and rarely meet friends, neighbors, and acquaintances when compared to the CH. Members of the UA group had the highest risk of reduced life satisfaction and increased depressive symptoms. Limitations: The cross-sectional design precluded causal inferences. Conclusion: Our study sheds light on the heterogeneity of health lifestyles among older adults living alone and highlights the need for tailored interventions to promote healthy aging in this population.