Loneliness is increasingly described as a modern epidemic - one that affects people of all ages and impacts both physical and mental health. In this episode of Let’s Talk Health, host Natalie Cook speaks with Associate Professor Clare Littleton, a public health researcher and Director of the Centre for Healthy Sustainable Development, to explore how where and how we live shapes our wellbeing.

In this episode, we cover:

• What loneliness really means and why it’s considered a modern epidemic
• How social isolation affects physical, mental and cognitive health across the lifespan
• Why where you live and who you see each day shapes your sense of belonging
• What intergenerational housing looks like in practice (and why it works)
• How the built environment can encourage connection, community and healthier ageing
• Cultural differences in ageing, caregiving and multigenerational living
• How incidental interactions between older adults and children build empathy and resilience
• Why public health researchers see intergenerational design as a key preventative strategy
• The role of policy, community planning and aged care providers in reducing loneliness
• What Australia is learning from global models of intergenerational living

Curious about public health, ageing, or how research is reshaping the way we live? Learn more about Clare and her team's research at the Centre for Healthy Sustainable Development. Interested in public health? Learn more about our programs at https://www.torrens.edu.au/courses/health/master-of-public-health .

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