Elderly living alone more likely to die prematurely: Study

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Dec 16
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Elderly living alone more likely to die prematurely: Study

SINGAPORE — Older people in Singapore who live alone, both men and women, have a higher chance of dying prematurely, with those living in one- to three-room flats at a higher risk compared to those who live in bigger housing types on their own.

These were the findings of an eight-year study, part of the Singapore Longitudinal Ageing Studies series, which looked into the ageing and health of older Singaporeans.

Men and women who lived alone had a 70-per cent higher risk of dying prematurely compared to their peers, the study found. And the death rate among men who lived alone was 2.8 times higher than their peers who lived with others. Correspondingly, the rate was 1.2 times higher for women. Those who lived alone were two times likelier to feel lonely and have depressive symptoms.

TODAY: TUESDAY 20 DECEMBER 2016

BY STACEY LIM

staceylim@mediacorp.com.sg

PUBLISHED: 2:09 PM, DECEMBER 18, 2015

UPDATED: 10:37 PM, DECEMBER 18, 2015

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