Social relations and health among older adults: A cross-cultural and pattern-centered approach.

Gerontological research indicates that social relations often improve health and increase chances of survival. Because social relations among older adults are particularly heterotypic, it is important to take a pattern-centered approach by examining types of social networks and their mental and physical health implications. Limited existing social network research has focused primarily on structural aspects of social networks (e.g., network size, frequency of contact). The present study uniquely includes structural, functional, and evaluative measures of social relations to derive network types, and examines the impact of these network types on health in three different countries. Using two samples of older adults (60+) from the United States-Japan cross-national survey (N = 504 and 472, respectively), Social Relations and Mental Health over the Life Course (Antonucci & Akiyama, 1993), and one sample (70+; N = 511) from the Berlin Aging Study (Baltes et al., 1993), cluster analyses were conducted separately for the United States, Japan, and Germany in order to derive social network types for each country. Common network types across countries included diverse, restricted, friend-focused, and family-focused. MANCOVAs (controlling for age, gender, education, and race) revealed that individuals in diverse network types had better physical and mental health than those in restricted network types in all three countries. However, countries also varied in the forms, prevalence, and implications of the network types. For instance, the family-focused network type was most prevalent in Japan but least prevalent in the US. In Germany, a unique network type characterized by the absence of a spouse and high levels of support emerged (Unmarried/Supported). Individuals in this network type had the worst mental and physical health of those in all other German network types. In contrast, American individuals embedded in a functionally restricted network type (Unsupported/Negative) had the worst mental and physical health. Interestingly, Cox regressions revealed that this network type had lower mortality rates compared to a more structurally restricted US network type (Unmarried/Non-friend). Findings were interpreted in light of theories of social relations (e.g., the theory of functional specificity; Weiss, 1974) and the multidimensional approach taken, with an emphasis on cultural similarities and differences.Ph.D.Developmental psychologyGerontologyHealth and Environmental SciencesPsychologyPublic healthSocial SciencesSocial psychologyUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/126020/2/3224874.pd