Living alone and adult loneliness: The buffering role of neighbourhood social interaction and attachment

Abstract

Objectives

This study aimed to examine the association between living alone and adult loneliness, and the buffering role of neighbourhood social interaction and attachment on this association.

Study design

Cross-sectional study.

Methods

Survey data encompassing 15,044 adults aged 35 and older from the North Denmark Region Health Survey 2017 were linked to Danish population register data. Loneliness was assessed using the Three-Item Loneliness Scale (T-ILS). Neighbourhood social interaction, attachment and living arrangements were measured through survey-based indicators. Register data provided information on sociodemographic covariates including sex, age, own/parental country of birth, education, income, and employment status. Multilevel linear probability models, with individuals nested within small area neighbourhoods, were used to test the hypotheses.

Results

After adjusting for covariates, living alone was significantly associated with an 8.72 percentage point higher probability of loneliness. Individuals reporting frequent neighbourhood social interactions or high levels of neighbourhood attachment had an 8.18 and 5.06 percentage point lower probability of loneliness, respectively. Moderation analyses indicated that both neighbourhood social interaction and attachment significantly buffered the negative impact of living alone, as living alone was less strongly associated with loneliness among individuals who reported high levels of neighbourhood social interaction and attachment.

Conclusions

These findings suggest that neighbourhood social interaction and attachment may buffer the negative impact of living alone on loneliness. Strengthening neighbourhood attachment and fostering local social interactions could be valuable public health strategies to mitigate loneliness among individuals living alone.