Social well-being of Canadian adolescents: A national socioecological analysis of individual, household, and living area correlates

• Adolescent social well-being assessed by community belonging and life satisfaction. • Integrating health and census data allows for national socioecological examination. • Younger age, better health, larger households linked to higher social well-being. • Rural, small-town, youth-dense areas linked to higher social well-being. • Places where adolescents live matter even in the age of online socializing. In an era of widespread online socializing, little is known about the conditions that shape adolescent social well-being, a key aspect of their overall well-being. Using a socioecological approach, this study examines the social well-being (SoWB) of Canadian adolescents and its individual, household, and living area correlates. SoWB is conceptualized as an individual-level outcome reflecting adolescents' appraisal of their social connections and how these relate to their overall well-being. High SoWB is operationalized as the intersection of strong community belonging and high life satisfaction. Data from the Canadian Community Health Survey (2015–2020; n = 23,980) were analyzed for adolescents aged 12–17. Environmental measures were developed using 2016 Census data to capture living area differences based on population density, housing characteristics, and transportation modes, as well as the proportion of youth in local populations. Individual data and environmental data were linked using geographic identifiers. Results showed that adolescents with higher odds of high SoWB were significantly more likely to report better general and mental health, be younger, live in larger households, and belong to middle- or high-income groups. Living area characteristics were also significantly associated with SoWB: adolescents living in Atlantic Canada, in rural or small-town areas with weak metropolitan influence, and in youth-dense areas had higher odds of high SoWB, even after adjusting for individual and household factors.