HEALTH AND SOCIAL NETWORKS AS PREDICTORS OF SURVIVAL IN OLD-AGE

A random sample of non-institutionalised Swedish elderly (n=1,062; age d 67+) were interviewed in 1954. All of them are now deceased; their i nterview data have been completed with dates of death and causes of de ath. A measure of survival capacity has been used, based on the endure d total mortality risk from examination until death, according to life Cables from Statistics Sweden. Survival analyses were performed by ge nder on the whole sample and on a number of sub-samples defined by age , health-status, social class, and marital status at examination. Phys ical health status and activity patterns had the overall most signific ant effects on subsequent longevity. Among the youngest elderly mental health was, however, even more important as a predictor of survival t han was physical health. The impact of most other factors like social networks, mobility, and religiosity was of less magnitude, but their i mportance varied among sub-samples. Most of the variation in survival, however, remains unexplained.