An examination of loneliness among elderly Canadian seasonal residents in Florida.

As part of a larger study focusing on different facets of the lives of 2,731 older Canadians who seasonally reside in Florida, we investigated primarily the extent of family and friendship contacts and the loneliness expressed by these older Canadians. The data were collected using a questionnaire that was distributed and returned by mail. The sample was taken from the subscription list of a newspaper in Florida that was a subsidiary of a large Canadian newspaper. The results show a population that was relatively young, married, in generally good health, and with rather extensive contacts with family and friends while residing in Florida. Nevertheless, more than a fifth indicated they were at least somewhat lonely. Results, using discriminate function analysis, showed that those more lonely were younger, female, less educated, not married, in poorer physical health, had fewer Florida friends, and had more children who lived near them in Canada, but fewer children who lived near them in the United States. Implications of the results are discussed.