Description

For adults 18 and older, LONECOMPAN indicates how often respondent feels a lack of companionship.

In 2022, LONECOMPAN was asked to respondents who were eligible for the SAQ as part of the Self-Administered Questionnaire (SAQELIG).

In 2021, LONECOMPAN was asked to respondents who completed the Social and Health Experiences (SHE) self-administered questionnaire (SDOHELIG). This variable was fielded as one of three questions about loneliness included in the Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) supplement as part of the 2021 SHE pencil-and-paper questionnaire. The SHE questionnaire was the first MEPS-HC questionnaire to be fielded using paper and web modes. Please see SATISFIED for more information on the SDOH supplement, including a complete list of variables fielded on the 2021 SHE.

Related Variables
The 2022 SAQ and 2021 SDOH supplement included a series of questions that asked respondents about their level of loneliness. These questions were adapted from UCLA's Loneliness Scale, which measures one's subjective feelings of loneliness as well as feelings of social isolation. In addition to LONECOMPAN, the Loneliness variables include the following:

• LONELEFTOUT: How often feels left out

• LONEISOLATED: How often feels isolated from others

Comparability

In addition to changes in the universe, the response options changed for this variable. Beginning in 2022, the response options 2 (Never or rarely), 4 (Rarely or sometimes) and 6 (Sometimes or often) were no longer fielded.

Universe

Availability

• 2021-2022

Weights

• 2021 : PERWEIGHT
• 2022 : SAQWEIGHT

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