Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 10, 2026
06:41
Assessment of Social Interaction Behaviors
Published on: February 25, 2011
95.8K
Activity space patterns and loneliness: Evidence from the pan-Canadian COHESION cohort
Shahab MohammadEbrahimi1, Benoit Thierry2, Yan Kestens3
1Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada; School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Health & Place
|April 8, 2026
Summary
Individuals with broader activity spaces, indicating more extensive daily movement, reported lower levels of loneliness. Maintaining social connections and engaging in physical activity also protected against loneliness.
Area of Science:
- Social Sciences
- Public Health
- Environmental Psychology
Background:
- Loneliness is a growing public health concern, exacerbated by factors like social isolation.
- Understanding the spatial dimensions of daily life may offer new insights into loneliness.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between the extent and diversity of daily movement (activity space) and the prevalence of loneliness.
- To identify sociodemographic and health factors associated with loneliness.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the COHESION Study, a nationwide Canadian cohort (N=1176).
- Assessed loneliness using a validated three-item scale and quantified activity spaces using the activspace R package.
- Employed ordinal logistic regression to analyze the relationship, controlling for covariates.
Main Results:
- Loneliness was negatively associated with age, sense of belonging, and relationship status.
- Individuals with lower loneliness reported significantly more extensive activity spaces.
- The number of unique locations visited, a proxy for social activity space, was inversely associated with loneliness.
Conclusions:
- Broader activity spaces are correlated with lower levels of loneliness.
- Sociodemographic factors (age, relationship status) and health behaviors (physical activity) are crucial in understanding and mitigating loneliness.
- Findings can inform public health strategies to reduce loneliness, especially during crises.
Related Concept Videos
01:30Social Relationships and Well-Being
478
The significance of social relationships in psychological well-being is a well-established area of inquiry within social psychology. Research consistently demonstrates that the presence of meaningful, supportive relationships enhances emotional health, while the absence or deterioration of such connections can contribute to psychological distress. Relationships serve as a foundation for emotional support, identity, and social belonging, all of which are critical to an individual’s overall...
478
02:12Relationship Formation
46.4K
What do you think is the single most influential factor in determining with whom you become friends and whom you form romantic relationships? You might be surprised to learn that the answer is simple: the people with whom you have the most contact. This most important factor is proximity. You are more likely to be friends with people you have regular contact with. For example, there are decades of research that shows that you are more likely to become friends with people who live in your dorm,...
46.4K
01:26Longitudinal Studies
689
Longitudinal studies are also widely used in other medical and social science fields. For instance, in cardiovascular research, they can monitor patients' health over decades to identify risk factors for heart disease, such as high cholesterol or smoking, and evaluate the long-term effectiveness of preventive measures. Similarly, in mental health studies, researchers might follow individuals from adolescence into adulthood to understand the development and progression of conditions like...
689
01:21Impact of Social Context on Individuals
471
Social psychology examines how the real or imagined presence of others influences individuals' thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. A key concept in this field is the role of social context in shaping behavior. The same individual may act differently depending on the social setting, due to the varying expectations and norms associated with each environment. This context-dependent behavior illustrates the influence of social roles, which prescribe appropriate conduct in specific situations.Social...
471
01:11Observational Studies
11.5K
Observational studies are a type of analytical study where researchers observe events without any interventions. In other words, the researcher does not influence the response variable or the experiment's outcome.
There are three types of observational studies – Prospective, retrospective, and cross-sectional.
Prospective Study
Prospective studies, also known as longitudinal or cohort studies, are carried out by collecting future data from groups sharing similar characteristics. One...
There are three types of observational studies – Prospective, retrospective, and cross-sectional.
Prospective Study
Prospective studies, also known as longitudinal or cohort studies, are carried out by collecting future data from groups sharing similar characteristics. One...
11.5K
01:50Cross-Sectional Research
12.9K
In cross-sectional research, a researcher compares multiple segments of the population at the same time. If they were interested in people's dietary habits, the researcher might directly compare different groups of people by age. Instead of following a group of people for 20 years to see how their dietary habits changed from decade to decade, the researcher would study a group of 20-year-old individuals and compare them to a group of 30-year-old individuals and a group of 40-year-old...
12.9K