PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Sebastian Tong AU - Rebecca A. Mullen AU - Camille J. Hochheimer AU - Roy T. Sabo AU - Winston R. Liaw AU - Donald E. Nease, Jr AU - Alex H. Krist AU - John J. Frey III TI - Geographic Characteristics of Loneliness in Primary Care AID - 10.1370/afm.2364 DP - 2019 Mar 01 TA - The Annals of Family Medicine PG - 158--160 VI - 17 IP - 2 4099 - http://www.annfammed.org/content/17/2/158.short 4100 - http://www.annfammed.org/content/17/2/158.full SO - Ann Fam Med2019 Mar 01; 17 AB - Loneliness is associated with poor health outcomes, and there is growing attention on loneliness as a social determinant of health. Our study sought to determine the associations between community factors and loneliness. The Three-Item Loneliness Scale and zip codes of residence were collected in primary care practices in Colorado and Virginia. Living in zip codes with higher unemployment, poor access to health care, lower income, higher proportions of blacks, and poor transportation was associated with higher mean loneliness scores. Future studies that examine interventions addressing loneliness may be more effective if they consider social context and community characteristics.