Exploring Factors Contributing to Social Isolation of Older African Immigrants in the United States: A Mixed-Methods Study

Background and Purpose: Social isolation; defined as a lack of social relationships with others, has been reported as a common experience in older adulthood. The experience varies for older adults from individual and collective societies. Extant literature has emphasized that social isolation occurs when there are diminishing social ties with family and friends. However, older immigrants from collectivist societies may face unique challenges, including disrupted social ties, acculturation stress, and language barriers, all of which increase the risk of isolation. This study examines the unique factors contributing to social isolation among older African immigrants in the United States.

Methods: A parallel convergent mixed-methods design was applied, whereby quantitative and qualitative approaches were used in parallel to gain simultaneous insights into the statistical analysis and in-depth individual perspectives on the factors contributing to social isolation for older African immigrants. Participants were recruited for the study using purposive and snowball sampling. A total of 163 older African immigrants (age (M=68.16, SD= 5.72), 98% female, 60.3% tertiary education) completed a survey either online or by mail. Additionally, 11 participants aged 63-79 years, (81.8% live with adult child, 54.5% female; 36.4% tertiary education) participated in semi-structured interviews until saturation was reached.

Measures: Social isolation was measured using the Patient Reported Measurement Information System (PROMIS) social isolation short form 8a v2.0 scale, while ethnic social relations was assessed using a short scale for African Immigrants (ASASI), both with appropriate internal consistency. A multiple regression analysis was performed to examine the factors predicting social isolation among older African immigrants. While deductive and inductive thematic analysis was used to analyze the interview transcripts.

Results: The results showed that language preference, ethnic social relations, financial satisfaction, transportation, and grandchild care roles predicted social isolation, R² = .105, F(6, 143) = 2.792, p < .05. However, ethnic social relations (β = –.273, p < .05) and living alone (β = –.196, p < .05) emerged as unique contributors to isolation. Four themes emerged from the qualitative study: 1) cultural barriers (limited intercultural interaction, language barriers, and cultural differences), 2) structural barriers (lack of transportation access), 3) environmental barriers (perceived lack of safety, weather conditions), and 4) socializing with grandchildren. All these factors - except socializing with grandchildren, were reported to limit participants’ social interactions outside their family network. In contrast, caregiving for grandchildren emerged as a protective factor that helps reduce feelings of social isolation. The qualitative findings supported and enriched the quantitative results by offering deeper insight into how ethnic social relations, such as language barriers, cultural differences, and limited intercultural interactions, contribute to the social isolation experienced by older African immigrants.

Conclusions and implications: Findings indicate that older African immigrants are vulnerable to social isolation due to limited intercultural interactions and strong reliance on similar ethnic social groups. Hence, social workers, other practitioners, and policymakers need to consider intercultural interactions when developing interventions for alleviating social isolation for older adults.