A Rasch-based psychometric evaluation of a 13-item loneliness and social connection scale in over 135,000 adults
File(s)
Published online version
Author(s)
Tristan-Lopez, Agutsin
Majeed, Azeem
El-Osta, Austen
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Loneliness and poor social connections significantly affect health, making reliable measurement essential. This study assessed a 13-item survey, combining the UCLA Loneliness Scale, ONS Direct Measure, social capital questions, COVID-19 isolation items and demographic items, in a cross-sectional online sample of 134,164 valid responses of NHS patients in England. Rasch analysis evaluated item calibration, model fit, reliability and differential item functioning. Findings confirmed unidimensionality and a clear hierarchy of items measures, with some redundancy in the scale among loneliness items. The survey demonstrated strong psychometric properties, and Wright maps highlighted clusters and gaps in item distribution. These results validate the questionnaire as a reliable tool for measuring loneliness and social connection and offer a
framework for refining public health interventions and guiding future research across diverse populations.
framework for refining public health interventions and guiding future research across diverse populations.
Date Issued
2026-01-01
Date Acceptance
2026-04-01
Citation
Educational Methods and Psychometrics, 2026
ISSN
2943-873X
Publisher
Educational Methods and Psychometrics
Journal / Book Title
Educational Methods and Psychometrics
Copyright Statement
© 2026 The Authors. This is an open access article under the CC BY 4.0 license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
License URL
Publication Status
Published online
Article Number
29
Date Publish Online
2026-03-20