{
  "abstract": "Background Working from home has become increasingly common since the Covid-19 pandemic, particularly in the UK, with suggested positive and negative impacts. We examined whether homeworking was linked to social isolation, loneliness and health behaviours in the UK Hertfordshire Intergenerational Study, a population-based cohort.Methods 218 participants (76 men, 142 women) (aged 22–69 years) completed self-administered questionnaires. Height and weight were self-reported and used to derive BMI. Participants reported the number of work-from-home days in a typical week. Social isolation (Lubben Social Network Scale (LSNS-6)) and loneliness (University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)) Loneliness Scale) were also obtained. Physical activity was ascertained using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. A food frequency questionnaire was used to derive a diet quality score via principal component analysis. Ever smoking (yes/no), high alcohol consumption (>14 units/week), relationship status, educational attainment, employment status and number of comorbidities were also ascertained. Homeworking in relation to social isolation (LSNS-6 score < 13) and loneliness (UCLA score > 5) was examined using logistic regression adjusting for age, BMI, number of comorbidities, relationship status, education, and employment status. Age-adjusted associations between number of work-from-home days and physical activity, diet quality, ever smoking and high alcohol consumption were examined using linear and logistic regression, as appropriate. Analyses were restricted to full-time, part-time, and self-employed participants, and conducted using Stata. Odds ratios (95% CI) per additional day working from home each week are reported.Results Median (lower quartile, upper quartile) number of days working from home per week was 3 (0, 4) among men and 1 (0, 4) among women. Increased homeworking was related to increased risk of loneliness among men (1.61 (1.08, 2.39), p=0.02) and reduced risk of social isolation among women (0.56 (0.35, 0.88), p=0.01). Associations regarding homeworking in relation to the following outcomes were weaker: social isolation among men (p=0.20); loneliness among women (p=0.38); and health behaviours among either men or women (p>0.08 for all associations).Conclusion Increased homeworking was related to lower risk of social isolation among women but increased risk of loneliness among men. Limitations of this study include the self-reported nature of these cross-sectional data, potentially resulting in recall bias, and the smaller number of men participating. However, our data suggest that men and women have different experiences regarding the health impact of home working; further qualitative work would be useful to understand this better, especially given different patterns of homeworking in men and women.",
  "authors": [
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Centre, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Gregorio Bevilacqua"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Centre, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Leo Westbury"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Centre, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Faidra Laskou"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Centre, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Fiona Kirkham-Wilson"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Centre, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Nicholas Fuggle"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Centre, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Elaine Dennison"
    }
  ],
  "title": "OP32 Is homeworking associated with greater social isolation and loneliness? Findings from the hertfordshire intergenerational study",
  "uid": "2798433c-ba13-56e5-a8b1-a8977d221fbc"
}