Social Isolation, Self-Rated Health, and Self-Rated Oral Health among African Americans

J Health Care Poor Underserved. 2024;35(1):18-36.
  • PMID: 38661857
  • PMCID: PMC11058460 (available on )

Abstract

Social isolation is associated with worse health; however, few studies have examined the health effects of isolation among African Americans. The purpose of this study is to evaluate associations between social isolation and self-rated physical and oral health from the National Survey of American Life, a nationally representative sample of African Americans. Social isolation was operationalized to reflect both objective isolation (lack of contact) and subjective isolation (lack of emotional closeness). Self-rated physical and oral health were regressed on objective and subjective isolation while controlling for marital status, gender, age, family income, education, and health behaviors. Poorer self-rated physical health was associated with objective isolation, while poorer self-rated oral health was associated with subjective isolation. This study contributes to the small literature of the impact of social isolation on health among African Americans; furthermore, it is the first to examine the relationship between isolation and self-rated oral health in this population.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Black or African American* / psychology
  • Black or African American* / statistics & numerical data
  • Female
  • Health Status*
  • Health Surveys
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Oral Health* / ethnology
  • Self Report
  • Social Isolation* / psychology
  • Socioeconomic Factors
  • United States
  • Young Adult