Physical activity, social network type, and depressive symptoms in late life: An analysis of data from the National Social Life, Health and Aging Project

ABSTRACTBackground: Although social network relationships are linked to mental health in late life, it is still unclear whether it is the structure of social networks or their perceived quality that matters.Methods: The current study regressed a dichotomous 8-item version of the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CESD-8) score on measures of social network relationships among Americans, aged 65–85 years, from the first wave of the National Social Life, Health and Aging Project. The network indicators included a structural variable – social network type – and a series of relationship quality indicators: perceived positive and negative ties with family, friends and spouse/ partner. Multivariate logistic regression analyses controlled for age, gender, education, income, race/ethnicity, religious affiliation, functional health and physical health.Results: The perceived social network quality variables were unrelated to the presence of a high level of depressive symptoms, but social network type maintained an association with this mental health outcome even after controlling for confounders. Respondents embedded in resourceful social network types in terms of social capital – “diverse,” “friend” and “congregant” networks – reported less presence of depressive symptoms, to varying degrees.Conclusions: The results show that the structure of the network seems to matter more than the perceived quality of the ties as an indicator of depressive symptoms. Moreover, the composite network type variable stands out in capturing the differences in mental state. The construct of network type should be incorporated in mental health screening among older people who reside in the community. One's social network type can be an important initial indicator that one is at risk.

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Exercise participation : sleep quality in Thai older adults

10.32469/10355/62493 ◽

2016 ◽

Author(s):

◽

Chantra Promnoi

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Older Adults ◽

Logistic Regression ◽

Social Network ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Sleep Quality ◽

Social Connectedness ◽

Health Conditions ◽

Physical And Mental Health ◽

Exercise Participation

Physical activity and social interaction may be related to sleep quality in older adults. This study aimed to explore differences in sleep quality among older adults who performed exercise at elder clubs, older adults who exercised at home, and older adults who did not exercise, as well as identify factors associated with sleep quality in this population. The Symptom Management Model was adopted to guide this study. Using a cross-sectional correlational design, three groups of participants (60 persons per group) who met inclusion criteria were recruited from senior clubs and communities from HatYai District, Songkha Province, Thailand. The Kruskal-Wallis test was used to analyze the differences in sleep quality as measured by the Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index and the Insomnia Severity Index among three groups. Logistic regression was used to estimate the extent to which health conditions, pain, depressive symptoms, social connectedness (social network and social support), and self-reported physical activity predicted sleep quality. No significant differences in sleep quality scores were found among the three groups, although the non-exercise group reported scores indicating poorer sleep quality, compared to the other two groups. Sleep quality was associated with number of health conditions, pain level, depressive symptoms, social connectedness (social network), and physical activity. The results of the logistic regression analysis showed that pain and depressive symptoms were significant predictors of sleep quality when controlling for age, gender, education, and marital status. The findings suggest that exercising can positively influence sleep. Healthcare providers should evaluate sleep quality in older adults within the context of their physical and mental health, as well as their social connections.

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TYPES OF SOCIAL NETWORKS AND THEIR ASSOCIATION WITH MOBILITY AND DISABILITY IN LATE LIFE

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igz038.635 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. S178-S179

Author(s):

Talha Ali ◽

Michael Elliott ◽

Toni C Antonucci ◽

Belinda Needham ◽

Jonathan Zelner ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Social Networks ◽

Social Network ◽

Social Life ◽

Late Life ◽

Functional Health ◽

Sensitivity Analyses ◽

Primary Analysis ◽

Network Characteristics ◽

Representative Study

Abstract Social networks are critical in maintaining late-life functional health, but, previous studies have focused on isolated dimensions of social networks. We examined whether network types, representing multiple interrelated network characteristics, are associated with mobility and disability among older adults in America. Data are from the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project, a nationally representative study of 3,005 adults aged 57-85 years at baseline (2005-2006). In a previous analysis, five social network types were derived at baseline, based on nine observed network characteristics. Functional outcomes were examined during two follow-up waves in 2010-2011 and 2015-2016. Mobility-related function was assessed as the time (in seconds) to complete a 6-meter walk. Disability was defined as experiencing any difficulty in performing one of six activities of daily living (ADLs). We estimated the effect of network types on risk of ADL disability onset using logistic regression, and on mobility using generalized linear mixed models. Social network type was associated with mobility over time, such that older adults in the “restricted” network had significantly slower walking times than those in the “diverse” network. There was no association between network types and risk of disability onset in the primary analysis. However, sensitivity analyses showed a protective effect of the “partner-centered” network on a 5-year, but not a 10-year, risk of disability onset. Network types can elucidate older adults’ varied interpersonal and caregiving networks, and identify adults at risk of being socially isolated. However, the utility of network types in predicting late-life functional health may be limited.

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The impact of social networks on the relationship between functional impairment and depressive symptoms in older adults

International Psychogeriatrics ◽

10.1017/s1041610215000538 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 28 (1) ◽

pp. 39-47 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Kimberly J. Stoeckel ◽

Howard Litwin

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Older Adults ◽

Social Network ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Functional Impairment ◽

Functional Limitations ◽

Later Life ◽

Meaningful Relationships ◽

The Impact ◽

Network Type

ABSTRACTBackground:To examine the role of meaningful relationship characteristics, defined here as social network type, in relation to the association between functional impairment and depressive symptoms.Methods:The sample included respondents aged 65 years and older (n = 26,401) from the fourth wave of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). Respondents were classified into one of seven relationship network types (Distal Children (living at a distance), Proximal Family (living nearby), Spouse, Other Family, Friend, Other, and No Network) according to the predominant characteristics of their most meaningful relationships. A two-stage regression analysis was performed in which the number of depressive symptoms was first regressed on the extent of functional impairment and network type, controlling for sociodemographic characteristics, cognition, health, and country. In the second stage, variables representing the interactions between functional impairment and network type were considered.Results:The compositional characteristics of respondents’ relationships in later life, as defined by social network type, were associated with depressive symptoms. In particular, when experiencing functional impairment, those without any meaningful relationships were found to have more depressive symptoms when compared to all other network types. The findings underscore the importance of meaningful relationships for the mental health of older adults experiencing functional impairment as well as the risk of experiencing depression among those who maintain no personal social network.Conclusions:The study shows that differing constellations of meaningful relationships in later life yield different associations with mental health, especially when taking functional limitations into account.

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The Association of Background and Network Type Among Older Americans

Research on Aging ◽

10.1177/0164027511409441 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 33 (6) ◽

pp. 735-759 ◽

Cited By ~ 21

Author(s):

Howard Litwin ◽

Sharon Shiovitz-Ezra

Keyword(s):

Human Capital ◽

Social Network ◽

Educational Level ◽

Social Life ◽

Background Characteristics ◽

Older Americans ◽

Logistic Regressions ◽

And Gender ◽

Ethnicity And Gender ◽

Network Type

This study examined the sociodemographic and health correlates of social network types among older Americans. It also considered whether greater human capital is associated with embeddedness in more socially endowed network types. Data from the first wave of the National Social Life, Health and Aging Project (NSHAP) were employed, focusing on the 65 years and older subsample. Multivariate logistic regressions were executed with core sociodemographic and health characteristics viewed in relation to five social network types: diverse, friend, congregant, family, and restricted networks. The analysis showed that religion, educational level, ethnicity, and gender were indeed associated with network type, to varying degrees. Age was unrelated to network type, but the interaction of disability and age was. Moreover, human capital was found to be partially correlated with social network type, mainly in the friend network. The findings substantiate that older Americans coalesce in varied social network types and that these interpersonal constellations are differentially associated with background characteristics.

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The Association Between Midlife Physical Activity and Depressive Symptoms in Late Life: Age Gene/Environment Susceptibility—Reykjavik Study

The Journals of Gerontology Series A ◽

10.1093/gerona/glv196 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 71 (4) ◽

pp. 502-507 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Milan Chang ◽

Jon Snaedal ◽

Bjorn Einarsson ◽

Sigurbjorn Bjornsson ◽

Jane S. Saczynski ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Late Life ◽

Gene Environment

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Physical Activity in Depressed Elderly. A Systematic Review

Clinical Practice and Epidemiology in Mental Health ◽

10.2174/1745017901309010125 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 125-135 ◽

Cited By ~ 46

Author(s):

Gioia Mura ◽

Mauro Giovanni Carta

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Low Cost ◽

Late Life ◽

Adjunctive Treatment ◽

Late Life Depression ◽

Treatment Resistant ◽

High Quality Research ◽

Old Patients ◽

New Findings

Background:exercise may reduce depressive symptoms both in healthy aged populations and in old patients diagnosed with MDD, but few specific analysis were conducted on the efficacy of exercise as an adjunctive treatment with antidepressants, which may be probably more useful in clinical practice, considered the high prevalence of treatment resistant depression in late life, the low cost and safety of physical activity interventions.Objective:to establish the new findings on the effectiveness of exercise on depression in elderlies, with particular focus on the efficacy of the exercise as an adjunctive treatment with antidepressants drug therapy.Method:the search of significant articles was carried out in PubMed/Medline with the following key words: “exercise”, “physical activity”, “physical fitness”, “depressive disorder”, “depression”, “depressive symptoms”, “late life”, “old people”, and “elderly”.Results:44 papers were retrieved by the search. Among the 10 included randomized controlled trials, treatment allocation was adequately conceived in 4 studies, intention-to-treat analysis was performed in 6 studies, but no study had a double-blinded assessment. We examined and discussed the results of all these trials.Conclusion:in the last 20 years, few progresses were done in showing the efficacy of exercise on depression, due in part to the persistent lack of high quality research, in part to clinical issues of management of depression in late life, in part to the difficult to establish the real effectiveness of exercise on depressive symptoms in elderlies. However, there are some promising findings on physical activity combined with antidepressants in treatment resistant late life depression.

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Social Network Position Moderates the Relationship between Late-life Depressive Symptoms and Memory Differently in Men and Women

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-019-42388-3 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Hairin Kim ◽

Seyul Kwak ◽

Junsol Kim ◽

Yoosik Youm ◽

Jeanyung Chey

Keyword(s):

Social Network ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Late Life ◽

Men And Women ◽

Network Position ◽

The Relationship ◽

Social Network Position

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Social Predictors of Physical Activity in Later Life: The Contribution of Social-Network Type

Journal of Aging and Physical Activity ◽

10.1123/japa.11.3.389 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 11 (3) ◽

pp. 389-406 ◽

Cited By ~ 38

Author(s):

Howard Litwin

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Social Network ◽

Elderly Population ◽

Secondary Analysis ◽

Later Life ◽

Physically Active ◽

Social Predictors ◽

Physical Activity Measure ◽

Activity Measure ◽

Network Type

The purpose of this study was to examine the association of social-network type and physical activity in an elderly population. The analysis was based on secondary analysis of a sample of Israeli retirees (N= 1,493). Five network types were considered: diverse, friends, neighbors, family, and restricted networks. Sociodemographic and health variables were addressed as control variables. A dichotomous physical activity measure was regressed in a hierarchical logistic procedure on the control and network-type variables. The multivariate results showed that respondents in diverse networks had the highest likelihood of all the network types for engaging in physical activity, and those in exclusively family or restricted networks had the lowest. The findings confirm that physically active older adults are also more socially connected.

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