Jb. Unger et al., Variation in the impact of social network characteristics on physical functioning in elderly persons: MacArthur studies of successful aging, J GERONT B, 54(5), 1999, pp. S245-S251
Citations number
38
Categorie Soggetti
Public Health & Health Care Science","Medical Research General Topics
Journal title
JOURNALS OF GERONTOLOGY SERIES B-PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES
Objectives. Social support and social networks have been shown to exert sig
nificant effects on health and functioning among elderly persons. Although
theorists have speculated that the strength of these effects may differ as
a function of sociodemographic characteristics and prior health status, few
studies have directly tested the moderating effects of these variables.
Methods, Longitudinal data from the MacArthur Study of Successful Aging wer
e used to examine the effects of structural and functional social support o
n changes in physical functioning over a 7-year period, measured by the Nag
i scale, in a sample of initially high-functioning men and women aged 70 to
79 years. Multiple regression analyses were used to test the main effects
of social support and social network variables, as well as their interactio
ns with gender, income, and baseline physical performance.
Results. After controlling for potential confounding effects, respondents w
ith more social ties showed less functional decline. The beneficial effects
of social ties were stronger for respondents who were male or had lower le
vels of baseline physical performance.
Discussion. The effects of social support and social networks may vary acco
rding to the individual's gender and baseline physical capabilities. Studie
s of functional decline among elderly persons should not ignore this popula
tion variation in the effects of social networks.