Social relations: network, support and relational strain

We introduce a conceptual framework with social relations as the main conce pt and the structure and the function of social relations as subconcepts. T he structure of social relations covers aspects of formal relations and soc ial network. The function of social relations covers social support, social anchorage and relational strain. We use this conceptual framework to descr ibe social relations in the Danish population, with questionnaire data from the Danish Longitudinal Health Behaviour Study including a random sample o f each of the age groups 25-, 50-, 60- and 70-year olds,.N = 2,011. The pos tal questionnaires were answered by a random sample in each of the age grou ps. The results show marked age and gender differences in both the structur e and the function of social relations. The social network, measured as wee kly contacts, weakens with age and so does instrumental support. Emotional support is unrelated to this decline in contact frequency and appears to be at the same level for younger and older individuals. Relational strain, me asured as conflicts, declines with age for all kinds of social relations. T he weakening of the social network with age does not seem to affect the lev el of emotional support and in turn seems to be partly compensated for by a simultaneous decline in relational strain. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.