Beyond the usual path: Exploring childlessness and loneliness in later life

This doctoral dissertation uses a multi-method approach,
integrating existing literature, survey data, and life story
interviews to comprehensively explore the concepts of
childlessness and loneliness in later life, as well as their
interrelationship. A systematic review and meta-analysis
identifies a pooled prevalence of loneliness among
community-dwelling older adults of 31.6%, and shows the
impact of measurement instrument used, mode of data
collection and country. Furthermore, it identifies several
reasons for voluntary childlessness, including career-
related choices, critical views on society, partner dynamics,
and life course circumstances. Importantly, the
heterogeneity of the childless population is highlighted,
distinguished by diverse personal and social
characteristics. Childlessness itself does not inherently
lead to increased loneliness in later life; rather, loneliness
levels among childless older adults may vary significantly
based on the reasons for their childlessness. Themes from
the life stories of these individuals – such as making space
for other pursuits and acceptance – further explain why
childless older adults are not lonelier compared to older
adults who have children. By focusing on these
complexities, the dissertation shows that not childlessness
as such impacts loneliness in later life and throughout the
life course, but the surrounding context and other life
events, such as reasons for childlessness, play a more
decisive role in the experience of loneliness.