Social isolation and health risks: Do the younger generations behave differently? Findings from the European Social Survey (Round 11 – 2023/2024)
- 1Department of Economics, Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, Cantabria, Spain
- 2Health Economics Research Group, Valdecilla Health Research Institute (IDIVAL), Santander, Cantabria, Spain
- 3Santander Financial Institute, SANFI, Santander, Cantabria, Spain
Abstract
Social isolation has long been recognized as a determinant of poor health, particularly in older adults. However, its effects on young people remain underexplored. This study investigates how different dimensions of social isolation affect health-related behaviors among different generations (Silent Generation, Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, and Generation Z), including physical inactivity, tobacco and alcohol consumption, and body mass index as dependent variables. Using cross-sectional data from Round 11 of the European Social Survey, we analyze a sample of individuals from 24 European countries. We apply logistic regression models to estimate the association between five social isolation indicators (non-social meetings, lack of participation in activities, living alone, lack of emotional support, and unhappiness) and the above-mentioned four health-related outcomes. The empirical results highlight that social isolation is meaningfully associated with health behaviors, even among younger cohorts (e.g.: non-social meetings [OR = 1.291–1.789] play a key role in contributing to physical inactivity across all generations). It could be said that Generation X represents a transitional group, balancing traditional and modern lifestyles. Our findings emphasize the need for age-specific policies to address social isolation and promote lifelong health and support urgent policy attention to mitigate the long-term public health consequences of social disconnection in Europe.
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BibTeX
@article{blazquezfernandez2026social,
title = {{Social isolation and health risks: Do the younger generations behave differently? Findings from the European Social Survey (Round 11 – 2023/2024)}},
author = {Carla Blázquez-Fernández and Paloma Lanza-León and David Cantarero-Prieto},
journal = {PLOS One},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0357725},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0357725},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Social isolation and health risks: Do the younger generations behave differently? Findings from the European Social Survey (Round 11 – 2023/2024)
AU - Carla Blázquez-Fernández
AU - Paloma Lanza-León
AU - David Cantarero-Prieto
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/10
JO - PLOS One
DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0357725
UR - https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0357725
AB - Social isolation has long been recognized as a determinant of poor health, particularly in older adults. However, its effects on young people remain underexplored. This study investigates how different dimensions of social isolation affect health-related behaviors among different generations (Silent Generation, Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, and Generation Z), including physical inactivity, tobacco and alcohol consumption, and body mass index as dependent variables. Using cross-sectional data from Round 11 of the European Social Survey, we analyze a sample of individuals from 24 European countries. We apply logistic regression models to estimate the association between five social isolation indicators (non-social meetings, lack of participation in activities, living alone, lack of emotional support, and unhappiness) and the above-mentioned four health-related outcomes. The empirical results highlight that social isolation is meaningfully associated with health behaviors, even among younger cohorts (e.g.: non-social meetings [OR = 1.291–1.789] play a key role in contributing to physical inactivity across all generations). It could be said that Generation X represents a transitional group, balancing traditional and modern lifestyles. Our findings emphasize the need for age-specific policies to address social isolation and promote lifelong health and support urgent policy attention to mitigate the long-term public health consequences of social disconnection in Europe.
SN - 1932-6203
ER -