Beyond individual correlates: The moderating roles of neighborhood factors on loneliness among adults in predominately Black neighborhoods in Pittsburgh

Health Place. 2026 Mar 25;99:103646. doi: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2026.103646. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

While individual correlates of loneliness are well established, less is known about whether neighborhood characteristics modify these associations. Guided by the Ecological Theory of Aging, this study examined whether subjective and objective neighborhood factors moderated cross-sectional associations between key individual characteristics (age, gender, physical function) and loneliness among adults in two predominantly Black Pittsburgh, PA neighborhoods. Data were drawn from the Think PHRESH study (N = 694), an ancillary to a longitudinal cohort study of the Pittsburgh Hill/Homewood Research on Neighborhood Change and Health (PHRESH). Loneliness was measured using the UCLA 3-item scale. Subjective neighborhood factors included perceived safety and neighborhood satisfaction. Objective factors included neighborhood socioeconomic deprivation and residential instability from Census data. Multivariable linear regressions with interaction terms tested moderation effects, followed by stratified analyses for significant interactions. Among those perceiving their neighborhoods as less safe, middle-aged adults (50-65 years) and older adults (≥65 years) reported significantly higher loneliness compared to younger adults (31-49 years). These age-related differences were not observed among those reporting high safety. A similar pattern emerged for neighborhood satisfaction: greater loneliness was reported among middle-aged and older adults with low neighborhood satisfaction, but not among those with high satisfaction. Physical limitations were also linked to greater loneliness among those with low perceived safety or neighborhood satisfaction. Women living in more deprived neighborhoods reported higher loneliness than men, while no gender differences were observed in less deprived areas. These findings suggest that neighborhood perceptions may be salient in shaping loneliness and that neighborhood disadvantage may exacerbate gendered vulnerabilities to loneliness. Future research should investigate the mechanisms through which neighborhood perceptions develop and influence loneliness over time, and evaluate interventions addressing both individual and contextual determinants of loneliness in historically marginalized communities.

PMID:41886933 | DOI:10.1016/j.healthplace.2026.103646