Eating alone, social life, and self-rated health: insights from a cross-sectional study of 70- to 75-year-olds in Sweden

Commensality is central to social life - supporting social relations and even happiness - while eating alone is linked to poorer mental and physical health. This study examines whether eating alone and engagement in social activities are associated with loneliness and self-rated health among community-living older adults in Sweden. Data from a national cross-sectional survey of 695 adults aged 70-75 years were used to assess both the frequency and subjective experience of eating alone and engagement in social activities. Using logistic regression and interaction analysis, the associations with loneliness and self-rated health were examined. The frequency and subjective experience of eating alone were both associated with loneliness. The association between eating alone and loneliness was not dependent on whether eating alone was perceived as bothersome. Lower engagement in social activities was associated with loneliness and lower self-rated health. No associations between the frequency and subjective experience of eating alone and self-rated health were observed. In this sample, the proportion of loneliness was high in groups bothered by eating alone, indicating specific subgroups for whom eating alone can be problematic. More research is needed to understand the issue of eating alone - and who it affects. This could help guide the development and implementation of policies targeting groups vulnerable to loneliness and poor health.