Predictors of loneliness among Moroccan and Turkish minorities living in Belgium

Abstract

The aim of this study is to scrutinize the predictors of loneliness among Moroccan and Turkish minority groups living in Belgium. Ethnic minority group members are considered to be at higher risk of being lonely, but to date there is a paucity of studies on the predictors of loneliness within a context of ethnic minorities’ integration in society. Data are used from a representative face-to-face survey administered in two former coal mine communes (Houthalen-Helchteren and Genk) in Belgium’s north-eastern province of Limburg in 2006 (N=456). To investigate the predictors of loneliness, a stepwise multiple regression analysis was conducted on sets of socio-demographic variables, integration variables and ethnic attachment variables, separately as well as in combination. Results of the analysis showed that majority language proficiency, the number of co-ethnic friends, perceived discrimination and majority group identity were the strongest predictors of the level of loneliness among persons of Moroccan and Turkish descent.