2018 Impact Summit

At The Improve Group, we have experienced the effectiveness of using values to frame decisions for data collection. We will draw on 3 recent statewide surveys that illustrate how a set of core principles needs to shape outreach in order to achieve better representation. We have found this framework to be of particular importance in longitudinal, individual-level data collection – such as you may use to chart changes in community indicators over time.

Social isolation is an absence of meaningful social relationships, which can negatively impact health and well-being. It is measured and defined in a variety of ways reflecting the complexity of the individual, community and societal interactions. Despite the vast amount of literature and research on this topic, no single state-level measure of social isolation exists. We created a multi-factorial measure of risk for social isolation informed by AARP’s framework and a literature review. We included six factors for adults aged 65 and older in our risk of social isolation measure using American Community Survey 5 year estimates, 2012-2016. Prevalence estimates of our six selected risk factors are reported by state. The overall risk is presented as a percentile based on the mean of z-scores for six risk factors for social isolation in adults aged 65 and over. Quintile maps are used to display the percentiles by state and county. Risk of social isolation varies widely by state with a concentrated area of high risk from the mid-South through the Appalachian Mountain states. Risk of social isolation by county shows high risk areas in central southern states, along the southeast Atlantic coast and in pockets of Texas, New Mexico, and California.  Our new measure of risk of social isolation permits states and counties to explore the extent and variation of the risk and to evaluate its use for targeting public and private programs to address risk factors for social isolation.