Social connection before and after the COVID-19 pandemic in the Belgian general population

Abstract During the COVID-19 pandemic, the spread of SARS-CoV-2 required preventive measures that substantially affected social life. Ever since, one of the main concerns of pandemic side-effects has been its impact on social connection. This is an umbrella term describing a person's social life in terms of structure, function and quality, with common indicators such as social isolation, social support, loneliness and relationship satisfaction. While short-term studies on social connection indicators have shown increasing social disconnection during the pandemic, little is known about the long-term effects. The few studies that have compared social connection before, during and after the pandemic yielded conflicting results, with some finding lasting negative effects and others observing recovery. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess time trends in social connection, comparing pre- and post-pandemic levels of social contact frequency, social support (measured with the OSSS-3) and social satisfaction. Cross-sectional data from the Belgian Health Interview Surveys were used, with a pre-pandemic measurement in 2018 (N = 8075) and a post-pandemic measurement in 2023-2024 (N = 4926) in Belgians aged 15 years or older. Preliminary logistic regression results showed no changes in social connection, neither as a main effect, nor in interaction with sociodemographic variables. Thus, in the Belgian population, there seem to be no long-term decreases in social connection after the pandemic. Key messages • There is a need for long-term evaluation of the COVID-19 impact on social connection. • Preliminary results show stable social connection from pre- to post-pandemic periods in Belgium.