scholarly journals Transitions in Social Network Types over Time among Older Adults

Gerontology ◽  
2022 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Pildoo Sung ◽  
Rahul Malhotra ◽  
Grand H.-L. Cheng ◽  
Angelique Wei-Ming Chan
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Networks ◽  
Social Network ◽  
Extended Family ◽  
Multinomial Logistic Regression ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Transition Analysis ◽  
Network Composition ◽  
Over Time

<b><i>Objective:</i></b> Network typology studies have identified heterogeneous types of older adults’ social networks. However, little is known about stability and change in social network types over time. We investigate transitions in social network types among older adults, aged 60 years and older, and factors associated with such transitions. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> We used data on 1,305 older adults, participating in 2 waves of a national, longitudinal survey, conducted in 2016–2017 and 2019, in Singapore. Latent transition analysis identified the distinct types of social networks and their transition patterns between the waves. Multinomial logistic regression examined the association of baseline and change in physical, functional, and mental health and baseline sociodemographic characteristics with network transitions into more diverse or less diverse types. <b><i>Results:</i></b> We found 5 social network types at both waves, representing the most to the least diverse types – diverse, unmarried and diverse, extended family, immediate family, and restricted. Between waves, about 57% of respondents retained their social network type, whereas 24% transitioned into more diverse types and 19% into less diverse types. Those who were older and less educated and those with worsening functional and mental health were more likely to transition into less diverse types versus remaining in the same type. <b><i>Discussion:</i></b> The findings capture the dynamics in social network composition among older adults in the contemporary aging society. We highlight sociodemographic and health disparities contributing to later life social network diversity.

scholarly journals EXPANDING SOCIAL TIES AS A GOAL IN LATER LIFE: THE ROLE OF SOCIAL NETWORK CHARACTERISTICS

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S175-S175
Author(s):  
Danielle Oleskiewicz ◽  
Karen Rook
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Networks ◽  
Social Network ◽  
Social Ties ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Support Provision ◽  
Network Characteristics ◽  
Network Composition

Abstract Older adults often winnow their social ties to focus on emotionally rewarding ties (Charles & Carstensen, 2010). Some older adults, however, have small social networks that preclude much winnowing or aversive social ties from which disengagement is difficult. These individuals might be motivated to expand, rather than contract, their social ties. The current study sought to extend knowledge regarding potential links between social network characteristics and older adults’ interest, effort, and success in creating new social ties. We expected that small social networks and negative social ties might motivate interest and effort directed toward forming new social ties but that positive social ties might foster success in efforts to form new ties. In-person interviews were conducted with participants (N = 351, Mean age = 74.16) in a larger study of older adults’ social networks and well-being. The interviews assessed participants’ social networks, as well as their interest, effort, and success in making new social ties. Participants’ social network composition, rather than size, was associated with greater motivation to establish new social ties. Negative social ties were associated with greater interest and effort directed toward forming new social ties. Positive social ties were related to greater success (due, in part, to their support provision) and, unexpectedly, were also related to greater interest and effort directed toward forming new ties. Older adults sometimes seek to expand, rather than contract, their social ties, and characteristics of their social networks appear to play a role in fueling and influencing the success of such efforts.

scholarly journals Social Network Types and Health Among Older Singaporeans

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 407-407
Author(s):  
Rahul Malhotra ◽  
Pildoo Sung ◽  
Angelique W M Chan
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Network ◽  
Social Engagement ◽  
Latent Class ◽  
Extended Family ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Reciprocal Relationship ◽  
Living Alone ◽  
Transition Analysis ◽  
Self Rated Health

Abstract Little is known about the heterogeneity and dynamics in older adults’ social networks and their bidirectional relationship with health in Asian societies. We investigate (1) social network types, (2) how network types predict health, and (3) whether health influences network types over time among older Singaporeans. We use data from Transitions in Health, Employment, Social engagement and Inter-Generational transfers in Singapore Study (THE SIGNS Study), a national longitudinal survey, collected in 2016-2017 (wave 1) and 2019 (wave 2). Latent class analysis is applied to identify distinct social network types and how they affect self-rated health after two years. Latent transition analysis is then employed to examine the pattern of change in network types between waves, and the relationship between baseline self-rated health and transition in network types. We identify six social network types: diverse, diverse but less socially engaged, immediate family, extended family, living alone yet diverse, and restricted (proportion at baseline: 7.2 %, 38.2 %, 14.1 %, 27.1 %, 7.0 %, and 6.4 %, respectively). Older adults in the ‘living alone yet diverse’ network type are less likely to report poor self-rated health after two years than those in the restricted and extended family network types. Additionally, we find that good health is related to more diversified network types—‘diverse’ and ‘diverse but less socially engaged’—at baseline, and network types are relatively stable over two years. These findings contribute to the literature by capturing complexities in the reciprocal relationship between social network types and health in later life.

scholarly journals Are newly added and lost confidants in later life related to subsequent mental health?

2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (12) ◽  
pp. 2047-2057 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ella Schwartz ◽  
Howard Litwin
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Networks ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Emotional Closeness ◽  
Contact Frequency ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Over Time

ABSTRACTBackground:This study examined internal changes in the personal social networks of older people and the relationship between these changes and mental health over time. It focused on two key aspects: emotional closeness and contact frequency with lost and newly added confidants.Methods:The study was based on data from the fourth (2011) and sixth (2015) waves of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). The study sample consisted of respondents aged 65 years and older who participated in both waves (n = 14,101). We performed OLS regressions in which the scores on two mental health indicators over time – depressive symptoms (Euro-D) and perceived quality of life (CASP-12) – were regressed on the relationship with lost and newly added confidants, controlling for baseline social networks, socio-demographic, and health variables.Results:The nature of the relationship with the lost and newly added confidants was associated with mental health, beyond the number of these confidants. Emotional closeness with newly added confidants was related to improved mental health in both indicators (B = −0.09, CI = −0.14 to −0.04 for depression; B =1.13, CI = 0.67–1.60 for quality of life). Losing frequently contacted confidants was associated with higher depressive symptoms (B = 0.09, CI = 0.02–0.15).Conclusions:The results show the positive mental health implications of adding emotionally close confidants to older adults’ social milieus, and the negative effects of losing frequently contacted confidants. Practitioners are advised to pay attention to the quality of such changing relationships, due to their mental health consequences.

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

2015 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-47 ◽  
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.

scholarly journals Exacerbating Inequalities: Social Networks, Racial/Ethnic Disparities, and the COVID-19 Pandemic in the United States

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gertrude R Gauthier ◽  
Jeffrey A Smith ◽  
Catherine García ◽  
Marc A Garcia ◽  
Patricia A Thomas
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Networks ◽  
Social Network ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Ethnic Disparities ◽  
The United States ◽  
Mental Health Outcomes ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Racial Ethnic

Abstract Objectives The disruption and contraction of older adults’ social networks are among the less discussed consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our objective was to provide an evidence-based commentary on racial/ethnic disparities in social network resources and draw attention to the ways in which disasters differentially affect social networks, with meaningful insight for the ongoing pandemic. Methods We draw upon prior research on social networks and past natural disasters to identify major areas of network inequality. Attention is given to how pre-pandemic racial/ethnic network disparities are exacerbated during the current crisis, with implications for physical and mental health outcomes. Results Evidence from the literature shows a robust association between strong social networks and physical and mental health outcomes. During times of crisis, access to social networks for older adults is disrupted, particularly for marginalized groups. We document pre-pandemic disparities in social networks resources and offer insight for examining the impact of COVID-19 on disrupting social networks among older adults. Discussion Importantly, racial/ethnic disparities in social networks both prior to and as a result of the pandemic intensify existing inequalities and demonstrate the necessity of better understanding social network inequalities for marginalized older adults, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 health crisis.

scholarly journals Homeostasis Revisited: Patterns of Stability and Rebalancing in Older Adults’ Social Lives

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin Cornwell ◽  
Alyssa Goldman ◽  
Edward O Laumann
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Networks ◽  
Community Involvement ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Social Connectedness ◽  
General Pattern ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Structural Features ◽  
Personal Network ◽  
Over Time

Abstract Objectives To examine patterns of change in later-life social connectedness: (a) the extent and direction of changes in different aspects of social connectedness, including size, density, and composition of social networks, network turnover, and three types of community involvement and (b) the sequential nature of these changes over time. Method We use three waves of nationally representative data from the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project, collected from 2005/2006 to 2015/2016. Respondents were between the ages of 67 and 95 at follow-up. Types of changes in their social connectedness between the two successive 5-year periods are compared to discern over-time change patterns. Results Analyses reveal stability or growth in the sizes of most older adults’ social networks, their access to non-kin ties, network expansiveness, as well as several forms of community involvement. Most older adults experienced turnover within their networks, but losses and additions usually offset each other, resulting in generally stable network size and structural features. Moreover, when older adults reported decreases (increases) in a given form of social connectedness during the first half of the study period, these changes were typically followed by countervailing increases (decreases) over the subsequent 5-year period. This general pattern holds for both network and community connectedness. Discussion There is an overwhelming tendency toward either maintaining or rebalancing previous structures and levels of both personal network connectedness and community involvement. This results in overall homeostasis. We close by discussing the need for a unifying theoretical framework that can explain these patterns.

scholarly journals Living alone, social networks in neighbourhoods, and daily fruit and vegetable consumption among middle-aged and older adults in the USA

2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (18) ◽  
pp. 3315-3323
Author(s):  
Yeon Jin Choi ◽  
Jennifer A Ailshire ◽  
Eileen M Crimmins
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Networks ◽  
Social Network ◽  
Social Engagement ◽  
Vegetable Consumption ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Fruit And Vegetable Consumption ◽  
Living Alone ◽  
Fruit And Vegetable

AbstractObjective:A social network is a valuable resource in later life. Therefore, the current study aims to investigate whether social networks within homes and neighbourhoods are associated with older adults’ daily fruit and vegetable consumption.Design:Cross-sectional secondary data analysis.Setting:USA.Participants:A nationally representative sample of 6865 community-dwelling older adults over age 53 in the Health and Retirement Study – Health Care and Nutrition Survey.Results:Older adults who lived alone with no children or friends nearby had the lowest fruit and vegetable consumption. However, the daily fruit and vegetable consumption of respondents who lived alone and had children or friends nearby or those who lived with someone and had no children or friends nearby was not statistically different from those who lived with someone and had children or friends nearby. This suggests that having a social network either at home or in the neighbourhood complements the absence of living with someone or having children or friends nearby and attenuates the negative association between limited social networks and daily fruit and vegetable consumption. A greater decrease in the number of fruits and vegetables consumed was observed among men when they lived alone with no children or friends nearby.Conclusions:Special attention should be given to older adults with limited social networks, especially older adults living alone with no children or friends nearby. Provision of help with grocery shopping and meal preparation as well as social support networks and more opportunities that can improve social engagement appear to be necessary.

Functions of reminiscence in later life: Predicting change in the physical and mental health of older adults over time

2017 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 246-254 ◽  
Author(s):  
David B. King ◽  
Philippe Cappeliez ◽  
Sarah L. Canham ◽  
Norm O'Rourke
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Over Time

scholarly journals Multidimensional Social Network Types and Their Correlates in Older Americans

2022 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Talha Ali ◽  
Michael R Elliott ◽  
Toni C Antonucci ◽  
Belinda L Needham ◽  
Jon Zelner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Networks ◽  
Social Network ◽  
Birth Cohort ◽  
Multinomial Logistic Regression ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Medium Size ◽  
Sociodemographic Characteristics ◽  
Network Characteristics ◽  
Network Type

Abstract Background and Objectives Social support networks of older adults have been linked to their health and well-being; however, findings regarding the effects of specific network characteristics have been mixed. Additionally, due to demographic shifts increasing numbers of older adults live outside of traditional family structures. Previous studies have not systematically examined the resulting complexity and heterogeneity of older adults’ social networks. Our objectives were to examine this complexity and heterogeneity by developing a multidimensional typology of social networks that simultaneously considers multiple structural and functional network characteristics, and to examine differences in network type membership by sociodemographic characteristics, health characteristics, and birth cohort. Research Design and Methods Participants included 5,192 adults aged 57–85 years in the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project at rounds 1 (2005–2006) and 3 (2015–2016). Data were collected on social relationships including network size, diversity, frequency of contact, and perceived support and strain in relationships. We used latent class analysis to derive the network typology and multinomial logistic regression to examine differences in network type membership by sociodemographic characteristics, health characteristics, and birth cohort. Results Older adults were classified into 5 distinct social network types: (i) large, with strain; (ii) large, without strain; (iii) small, diverse, low contact; (iv) small, restricted, high contact; and (v) medium size and support. Membership in these network types varied by age, gender, marital status, race/ethnicity, education, mental health, and birth cohort. Discussion and Implications Network typologies can elucidate the varied interpersonal environments of older adults and identify individuals who lack social connectedness on multiple network dimensions and are therefore at a higher risk of social isolation.

Comparing the social networks of service users with long term mental health needs living in community with those in a general adult in-patient unit

2021 ◽  
pp. 002076402110175
Author(s):  
Roberto Rusca ◽  
Ike-Foster Onwuchekwa ◽  
Catherine Kinane ◽  
Douglas MacInnes
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Networks ◽  
Social Network ◽  
Patient Group ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Practical Support ◽  
The Social

Background: Relationships are vital to recovery however, there is uncertainty whether users have different types of social networks in different mental health settings and how these networks may impact on users’ wellbeing. Aims: To compare the social networks of people with long-term mental illness in the community with those of people in a general adult in-patient unit. Method: A sample of general adult in-patients with enduring mental health problems, aged between 18 and 65, was compared with a similar sample attending a general adult psychiatric clinic. A cross-sectional survey collected demographic data and information about participants’ social networks. Participants also completed the Short Warwick Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale to examine well-being and the Significant Others Scale to explore their social network support. Results: The study recruited 53 participants (25 living in the community and 28 current in-patients) with 339 named as important members of their social networks. Both groups recorded low numbers in their social networks though the community sample had a significantly greater number of social contacts (7.4 vs. 5.4), more monthly contacts with members of their network and significantly higher levels of social media use. The in-patient group reported greater levels of emotional and practical support from their network. Conclusions: People with serious and enduring mental health problems living in the community had a significantly greater number of people in their social network than those who were in-patients while the in-patient group reported greater levels of emotional and practical support from their network. Recommendations for future work have been made.

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