Housing type and the social contact of older adults

The literature on the health of older adults supports the importance of socialization toward creating positive outcomes in later life. Housing may have the capacity to encourage or diminish socialization, most directly through visits with neighbors. Additionally, the close proximity of friends and acquaintances may have the power to mitigate negative outcomes from the potential hazards of living alone. Using cross-sectional data from the 2006 Health and Retirement Study (HRS), this study investigates the relationship between housing type and social contact with neighbors. Results demonstrate that within the over 65 population and compared with dwelling in single-family housing, a positive relationship exists between apartment dwelling and the number of social visits per month with neighbors for individuals over age 65.