TOPLINE:

Adults who reported being hospitalized experienced social isolation and loneliness. Those with middle- or low-income levels had higher odds of social isolation, and poor self-rated health was associated with higher odds of loneliness.

METHODOLOGY:

• Researchers conducted a cross-sectional study analyzing data from a nationally representative survey of the US population.
• They included 1932 adults with at least one self-reported hospitalization in 2021, representing 16.9 million adults when weighted.
• Social isolation was measured using a version of the Berkman-Syme Social Network Index, which assessed marital status, frequency of communication with family or friends, attendance at religious services, and participation in clubs or organizations. Scores of 0 or 1 indicated social isolation.
• Loneliness was evaluated using the three-item UCLA Loneliness Scale, which asked participants how often they felt left out or isolated or felt that they lacked companionship; participants scoring greater than or equal to 6 were classified as lonely.

TAKEAWAY:

• The prevalence was 22.6% for social isolation and 26.6% for loneliness. Middle- and low-income levels were independently associated with higher odds of social isolation.
• Adults aged 45-64 years (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.45; P < .001) and those aged 65 years or older (aOR, 0.49; P = .002) had lower odds of social isolation than those aged 18-44 years. Black adults had reduced odds compared with White adults (aOR, 0.52; P = .008).
• Depression was independently associated with higher odds of both social isolation (aOR, 2.27; P < .001) and loneliness (aOR, 3.86; P < .001). Fair or poor perceived health status was also associated with higher odds of loneliness (aOR, 1.92; P < .001).
• Adults who were widowed, divorced, or separated (aOR, 2.03; P = .002) and those never married (aOR, 2.58; P < .001) had higher odds of loneliness than married individuals. Adults aged 65 years or older had lower odds of loneliness (aOR, 0.55; P = .032) than those aged 18-44 years.

IN PRACTICE:

“Given their significant impact on recovery and long-term outcomes, health systems should prioritize routine screening for social isolation and loneliness and ensure timely connection to appropriate interventions or referrals during their hospital stay,” the authors of the study wrote.

SOURCE:

The study was led by Ronald Anguzu, PhD, MPH, MBChB, of the Institute for Health & Humanity at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It was published online on April 8, 2026, in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

LIMITATIONS:

The study looked at individuals who were recently hospitalized instead of those who are currently in the hospital. Individuals who died or were transitioned to long-term care facilities after their hospital stay were not included.

DISCLOSURES:

One author disclosed receiving support from the Clinical and Translational Science Institute through the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences. No conflicts of interest were reported by the authors.

This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.