Low Perceived Neighborhood Safety as a Social Determinant of Loneliness: Findings From the 2024 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System

Lu, Kang, and Kuen analyze 317,320 adults in the 2024 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System across 35 states. People who perceived their neighborhoods as unsafe had higher odds of loneliness after adjustment for demographic and health factors.

Compared with people who felt extremely safe, adjusted odds of loneliness were 1.38 for those feeling unsafe and 1.68 for those feeling extremely unsafe. The study treats the physical and social environment as part of belonging rather than an individual psychological failure.