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Assessing the Effectiveness of Social Indices to Measure the Prevalence of Social Isolation in Neighbourhoods: A Qualitative Sense Check of an Index in a Northern English City

Author

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  • Andrea Wigfield

    (University of Sheffield)

  • Sarah Alden

    (University of Sheffield)

Abstract

Tackling the many negative health effects of social isolation has been identified as a policy priority in the UK and consequently many local authorities are developing strategies to ascertain its prevalence through the development of social indices. This paper provides a novel assessment of the emerging approach of developing indices to identify social isolation. It provides an overview of a selection of indices being developed by local authorities across England; considers the validity of such quantitative indices; and explores the extent to which more in-depth qualitative data collected at a neighbourhood level is additionally required. It draws on evidence of a social isolation index for older people created by a northern English local authority, assessing its validity through a qualitative sense check; an innovative approach which has not been attempted elsewhere. The paper contributes important knowledge to the growing literature in this field by further developing understanding around the most effective ways of identifying, measuring, and understanding social isolation at a local level. Our findings indicate that an index, alone, is insufficient to fully capture the multifaceted nature of social isolation as relevant indicators, unique to local spaces, which cannot easily be measured quantitatively, are often excluded. The paper offers a significant and original contribution to the debate for both academics who wish to gain a greater understanding of the role indices can play in identifying those most at risk of social isolation, as well as for policy makers and practitioners who are currently grappling with this challenging concept.

Suggested Citation

  • Andrea Wigfield & Sarah Alden, 2018. "Assessing the Effectiveness of Social Indices to Measure the Prevalence of Social Isolation in Neighbourhoods: A Qualitative Sense Check of an Index in a Northern English City," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 140(3), pages 1017-1034, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:spr:soinre:v:140:y:2018:i:3:d:10.1007_s11205-017-1812-0
    DOI: 10.1007/s11205-017-1812-0
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Julianne Holt-Lunstad & Timothy B Smith & J Bradley Layton, 2010. "Social Relationships and Mortality Risk: A Meta-analytic Review," PLOS Medicine, Public Library of Science, vol. 7(7), pages 1-1, July.
    2. Diego Zavaleta & Kim Samuel & China Mills, 2014. "Social Isolation: A conceptual and Measurement Proposal," OPHI Working Papers 67, Queen Elizabeth House, University of Oxford.
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    Cited by:

    1. David Cantarero-Prieto & Marta Pascual-Sáez & Carla Blázquez-Fernández, 2021. "Does Social Isolation Affect Medical Doctor Visits? New Evidence Among European Older Adults," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 16(2), pages 787-804, April.

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