Neighborhood Characteristics and Loneliness in Later Life: The Role of “Person–Environment Fit”

Abstract

Background and Objectives: There is increasing acknowledgment that loneliness is associated with neighborhood characteristics in addition to individual characteristics. We use four waves of geocoded data to examine longitudinal associations between neighborhood characteristics and loneliness of older adults. Research Design and Methods: We draw on “person–environment fit” theory, utilizing individual assessments of neighborhoods, while also creating aggregate assessments by combining responses from other respondents from the same geographic area to test associations with loneliness. Results: Random-effects models demonstrate that both individual and aggregate assessments of neighborhoods are..