Public Health in the Rockies 2026

To address local data needs, the Weld County Department of Public Health and Environment (WCDPHE) conducts a household-based Community Health Survey (CHS) using scientific random sampling to obtain population-level metrics for Weld County adults every three years. This survey's robust sample size along with weighting the results allow for disaggregation to highlight disparities.

In 2023 the then US Surgeon General released an advisory describing loneliness and social isolation as an epidemic. Between this report and coalition activities focused on reducing loneliness, many external and internal partners expressed a need to understand the impact of social isolation and loneliness in Weld residents.

While creating the 2025 Weld CHS, the WCDPHE data team added two new validated questions about social isolation and loneliness to meet partners’ data needs. The survey was sent out to around 20,000 randomly selected households in Weld County. A total of 2,802 residents completed the survey. The data was then weighted using Weld census data so that the results are representative of the county’s adult population.

Over 1 in 4 Weld residents reported being lonely, and over 1 in 10 never or rarely get the social and emotional support they need. Disparities in social isolation and loneliness were found when breaking the data down by income, gender, and race/ethnicity. Additionally, both loneliness and social isolation were much higher in residents with indicators of poor physical and mental health.

These results show how social connection can be quantitatively measured through survey data in large populations to produce useful metrics to guide and improve programs. Incorporating these metrics into Weld’s Community Health Assessment enables the county to better address the physical and mental health needs of residents through improved and targeted programming.