Housing Unit Type and Perceived Social Isolation Among Senior Housing Community Residents

Abstract

Background and objectives: Social isolation, and its associated health implications, is an important issue for older adults in the United States. To date, there has been limited study of the pathways that connect these 2 factors. The present study expands on previous models by linking factors related to the built environment-in the form of housing unit type-to perceived social isolation among those living independently in dedicated senior housing.

Research design and methods: The causal inference technique of inverse probability weighting with regression adjustment was employed to assess the impact of living in a townhome-style unit, as opposed to in an apartment building, on self-reported perceived social isolation (N = 1,160).

Results: Individuals who lived in townhome-style housing reported a 10.4% lower probability of experiencing social isolation as a result of living in a townhome-style unit as opposed to an apartment building-style unit.

Discussion and implications: The findings provide evidence for the conceptual model that characteristics specific to a given housing unit type may create conditions that exacerbate or buffer individuals from experiencing social isolation. This, in turn, has important implications for the targeting of interventions for social isolation. Policy considerations related to the type of affordable senior housing being built should also be informed by these findings. Additionally, future research should better explicate the role of housing unit type on mental and emotional health outcomes.

Keywords: Causal inference; Loneliness; Urban.