Poverty and loneliness are linked to pain, fatigue and low mood when experienced together and can have a significant impact on a person’s health outcomes, new research reveals.
A study undertaken by the University of Oxford shows that people on low incomes are more likely to feel lonely, despite having the same level of social interactions as someone in a higher income bracket. The researchers found that poverty and loneliness combined were associated with a ‘defensive symptom cluster’, a group of emotional and physical symptoms causing a negative impact on health.
The findings, published in Public Health, expose the systematic disparities in health outcomes across social and economic groups and highlight the necessity for health policies that address these inequalities.
The researchers analysed cross-sectional data from 24,504 respondents across 20 European countries who participated in the European Social Survey. Using statistical methods, they examined how loneliness, income levels and their combined effects influenced self-reported symptoms of pain, fatigue, and low mood.
Related Article: Isolated older people more likely to have low levels of key nutrients
The findings show a significant link between income levels, loneliness and adverse health symptoms such as pain, fatigue, and low mood
The findings show a significant link between income levels, loneliness and adverse health symptoms such as pain, fatigue, and low mood. Individuals with the lowest income levels are significantly more likely to experience loneliness than those with higher incomes.
The analysis showed that 49 per cent of people in the lowest income group reported feeling lonely in the previous week, compared with just 15 per cent of those in the highest income group, despite no measurable difference in reported levels of socialising.
People who reported the highest levels of loneliness experienced significantly higher rates of the symptom cluster encompassing pain, fatigue, and low mood, indicating a strong association between loneliness and these adverse health symptoms.
The average lonely person had a symptom score higher than 67 per cent of non-lonely people. For people in the lowest income group, the average lonely person had a score higher than 73 per cent of their non-lonely peers.
Thirty per cent of lonely individuals in the lowest income decile reported particularly high symptom scores, compared with just two per cent of non-lonely individuals in the highest income group.
Related Article: More work needed to ‘push forward’ men’s health and wellbeing agenda
For each increase in income decile analysed, there was a corresponding decrease in symptom cluster scores. These patterns remained even after controlling for other life factors such as marital status and living arrangements, suggesting that lower income levels can be associated with an increased prevalence of pain, fatigue, and low mood.
When people feel isolated or socially excluded, their bodies may respond in ways intended to protect them, for example, through low mood or tiredness, which may help preserve energy
The researchers suggest that the ‘defensive symptom cluster’ in people who are lonely and living in poverty is an evolved biological response to perceived threats or scarcity in the environment. When people feel isolated or socially excluded, their bodies may respond in ways intended to protect them, for example, through low mood or tiredness, which may help preserve energy.
Dr Arran Davis, a postdoctoral researcher from the University of Oxford and the study lead, said: ‘The relationship between poverty and poor health is well established, and previous research suggests that loneliness may be as bad for you as smoking. Our study shows that for people who are both on low incomes and lonely, the health costs are particularly marked.’
He added: ‘I hope this study inspires more research into the factors that lead people to feel socially disconnected and to the development of policies that support strong communities in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas.’
Related Article: Multiple chronic illnesses could double risk of depression
These findings underscore the importance of addressing both economic disparities and social isolation to improve health outcomes across all population segments.
