'Loneliness in the city': examining socio-economics, loneliness and poor health in the North East of England.
OBJECTIVES
The aim of this study was to discover whether lower socio-economic status is associated with increased experiences of loneliness and isolation. The research subsequently determined whether this relationship impacted health inequalities.


STUDY DESIGN
The study used a cross-sectional, self-reported survey collecting information on loneliness, isolation and poor health (n = 680). The survey was administered through Sunderland District Council in 2016-2017, and data were analysed at The University of Sunderland.


METHODS
The study used a quantitative approach, and data were analysed using descriptive statistics, engaging in univariate, bivariate and multivariate levels of analysis.


RESULTS
A number of significant findings emerged from the data analysis, linking lower socio-economic status to experiences of loneliness (P = 0.000) and social isolation (P = 0.000). When determining if social isolation and socio-economics had a detrimental impact on a person's health, no statistical association was discovered (P = 0.098). Yet, there was a significant relationship concerning socio-economic status, loneliness and poor health (P = 0.026).


CONCLUSIONS
The authors have identified a number of associations within the data with reference to isolation, loneliness and poor health. Therefore, participants from a lower socio-economic group experienced disproportionately high levels of social isolation and emotional loneliness when compared with other socio-economic groups. The data also demonstrate that participants who experienced loneliness, and who were from a lower socio-economic background, were consistently more likely to report poor health than those from other socio-economic backgrounds.
['Macdonald|S J|SJ|', 'Nixon|J|J|', 'Deacon|L|L|']
D000293:Adolescent D000328:Adult D000368:Aged D002947:Cities D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies D004739:England D005260:Female D054624:Health Status Disparities D006801:Humans D008132:Loneliness D008297:Male D008875:Middle Aged D011203:Poverty D057566:Self Report D012934:Social Isolation D055815:Young Adult
Loneliness Socio-economics Isolation Inequalities Annual income Poverty