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Objectives: Loneliness poses a serious health risk. However, little is known about the state of loneliness in the Korean population. This study analyzes the prevalence of and risk factors for loneliness with a particular focus on marriage status in Korean adults using nationwide survey data. Methods: Using individual-level data from the 16th Korean Welfare Panel Study in 2021, this study analyzed 9,422 participants aged 30 years and older, who responded to a question, “how many days during the past week did you feel lonely as if you were alone in the world?”. Multiple logistic regression analy- sis was conducted to examine the likelihood of feeling lonely at least once a week according to marital status and other sociodemographic characteris- tics (gender, education level, household income status, employment status). Multivariate-adjusted odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. Subgroup analysis was conducted by sex. Results: 20.2% of the study population were estimated to have felt lonely at least one day a week. 52.4% of widowed individuals and 47.6% of the divorced reported being lonely. Widowed and single people were more than two times as likely to feel lonely as the married (OR = 2.60 for the widowed; OR = 2.43 for the single; p < 0.001). Divorce and separation increased the odds of feeling lonely (OR = 4.02; 95% CI, 3.20-5.04; p < 0.001). ORs for loneliness for all non-married statuses (widowed, divorced/separated, single) were greater in men than in women. Conclusions: Loneliness is a highly prevalent public health problem in Korean adults. Marital status was strongly associated with increased risk for loneliness. Public health policies should consider targeting individuals who are more susceptible to the risk of loneliness.
