Social relations are a key aspect of aging and the life course. In this paper, we trace the scientific origins of the study of social relations, focusing in particular on research grounded in the ...convoy model.
We first briefly review and critique influential historical studies to illustrate how the scientific study of social relations developed. Next, we highlight early and current findings grounded in the convoy model that have provided key insights into theory, method, policy, and practice in the study of aging.
Early social relations research, while influential, lacked the combined approach of theoretical grounding and methodological rigor. Nevertheless, previous research findings, especially from anthropology, suggested the importance of social relations in the achievement of positive outcomes. Considering both life span and life course perspectives and grounded in a multidisciplinary perspective, the convoy model was developed to unify and consolidate scattered evidence while at the same time directing future empirical and applied research. Early findings are summarized, current evidence presented, and future directions projected.
The convoy model has provided a useful framework in the study of aging, especially for understanding predictors and consequences of social relations across the life course.
Abstract
Objectives
The purpose of this study was to examine dynamic links between changes in social ties and changes in emotional well-being.
Method
Trivariate dual-change score models were used to ...test whether a large number of close ties would be more strongly associated with low levels of depressed affect than a large number of weaker ties, and a large number of weaker ties would be more strongly associated with high levels of positive affect compared to a large number of close ties, across three waves of a large, regionally representative sample of U.S. adults aged 40 and older (N = 802).
Results
We found that a greater number of weaker ties was associated with having more close ties over time, and that the number of weaker ties was more strongly predictive of positive age-related changes in both aspects of well-being (i.e., more positive affect and less depressed affect) than the number of close ties.
Discussion
Contrary to popular theoretical orientations in gerontology, weaker ties may offer older adults a more effective avenue for promoting emotional well-being over time than close ties, and may have the additional benefit of compensating for losses in the number of close ties.
Social Network Typologies and Mental Health Among Older Adults Fiori, Katherine L.; Antonucci, Toni C.; Cortina, Kai S.
The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences,
01/2006, Letnik:
61, Številka:
1
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
In this study, we test the robustness of previous social network research and extend this work to determine if support quality is one mechanism by which network types predict mental health. ...Participants included 1,669 adults aged 60 or older from the Americans' Changing Lives study. Using cluster analysis, we found diverse, family, and friends network types, which is consistent with the work by Litwin from 2001. However, we found two types of restricted networks, rather than just one: a nonfamily network and a nonfriends network. Depressive symptomatology was highest for individuals in the nonfriends network and lowest for individuals in the diverse network. Positive support quality partially mediated the association between network type and depressive symptomatology. Results suggest that the absence of family in the context of friends is less detrimental than the absence of friends in the context of family, and that support quality is one mechanism through which network types affect mental health.
Theories of social relations suggest that individuals' personal networks reflect multiple aspects of relationships, and that different constellations are more or less supportive of well-being. Using ...data from the Berlin Aging Study (N = 516; age, M = 85 years), we derived network types that reflect information about structure, function, and quality, and we examined their association with well-being. A cluster analysis revealed six network types: diverse–supported, family focused, friend focused–supported, friend focused–unsupported, restricted–nonfriends–unsatisfied, and restricted–nonfamily–unsupported. Well-being was predicted differentially by the six types. Although the oldest-old individuals (85 years of age or older) were overrepresented in the friend-focused–supported and restricted types, age did not moderate the association of types with well-being. A holistic consideration of structure, function, and quality of social networks in old age offers unique insights.
Levels of volunteering may differentially influence multiple dimensions of health among older adults. Further, increasing evidence indicates social networks represent critical bridging and bonding ...contexts for the volunteering-health link. This study examines two research questions: 1) does volunteering level (low, moderate, high) influence physical and mental health in the same ways? And 2) does social network change moderate this link?
Data come from Waves 1 and 2 of the longitudinal Social Relations Study (n = 556) collected in 1992 and 2005 and the sub-sample of adults age 50 and older at Wave 2. Regression analyses predicting self-rated health and depressive symptoms were conducted to examine main effects of volunteering and moderating effects of social network change.
Volunteering at a moderate level (101–300 hours per year) was associated with fewer depressive symptoms compared to those not volunteering. Social network change moderated the association between volunteering and self-rated health. Among those reporting a decrease in the proportion of non-family in their network (decrease in bridging), a moderate level of volunteering was associated with better self-rated health.
While moderate levels of volunteering are associated with better mental health, the link to physical health is only present in the context of decreasing network bridging. Identifying specific circumstances under which volunteering is beneficial is critical for developing interventions to promote health for all, including those in mid and later life.
•Moderate volunteering among older adults is associated with better mental health.•High levels of volunteering are not associated with either physical or mental health.•Volunteering benefits physical health only in the context of social network change.•As networks change, volunteering can help those who lose diversity in their ties.•Increasing presence of family in networks may help maximize volunteering benefits.
Objectives. This study examines the main and interactive effects of age and socioeconomic status (SES) on social networks. Methods. Respondents are drawn from a regional stratified probability sample ...aged 40 to 93 years. Hierarchical regression analysis estimates the influence of age and SES on dimensions of social networks, controlling for marital status and health among men and women. Results. Among men, older age was associated with older networks. Professional men report networks that are less geographically proximal, however, occupational effects are most obvious in late life. Among women, age is associated with smaller networks that are older, less geographically proximal, and less frequently contacted. Whereas less education is associated with younger network members in midlife, among women in later life, lower levels of education are not associated with a younger network. Professional women report older networks composed of a higher proportion of friends than do homemakers. Higher levels of education are linked to larger personal networks among men and women, but not to the number of individuals considered closest. Among women, higher levels of education are also associated with less proximal networks. Discussion. An examination of within-group variability reveals influences of age and SES on personal networks among men and women.
To test the association between several social networks variables reflecting both structural characteristics and quality of relationships with the risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease 5 and up to ...15 years later.
The study sample is gathered from the Paquid cohort, a French population-based study of 3,777 elderly people evaluated at baseline and regularly revisited during a 15-year interval. The sample consisted of 2,089 subjects who completed the social network questionnaire and were free of dementia at the time of enrollment and also at the next two follow-ups to minimize the problem of reverse causality. The questionnaire collected at baseline included marital status, number of ties, nature of social network, satisfaction, perception of being understood/misunderstood, and reciprocity in relationships.
The incident cases of dementia considered were those diagnosed at 5-year and subsequent follow-ups, resulting in 461 dementia and 373 Alzheimer's disease cases. The multivariate Cox model, including the six social network variables and adjusted for numerous potential confounders, showed significant associations with satisfaction and reciprocity in relationships. Participants who felt satisfied with their relations had a 23% reduced dementia risk. Participants who reported that they received more support than they gave over their lifetime had a 55% and 53% reduced risk for dementia and Alzheimer's disease, respectively.
The only variables associated with subsequent dementia or Alzheimer's disease were those reflecting the quality of relationships. The delay between social network assessment and dementia diagnosis was from 5 up to 15 years, thus minimizing the problem of reverse causality.
Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) exert a variety of immune and metabolic functions by binding to G-protein-coupled receptors, mainly free fatty acid receptor 2 (FFAR2). However, the effects of SCFAs ...and FFARs on bone remodeling, especially in alveolar bone, have been less explored. In this study, we investigated the influence of the SCFA/FFAR2 axis on alveolar bone. Bone samples from wild-type (WT) and FFAR2-deficient mice (FFAR2−/−) were analyzed using micro-CT, histology and qPCR. WT and FFAR2−/− animals received a high-fiber diet (HFD) reported to increase circulating levels of SCFAs. Additionally, we analyzed the effects of SCFAs and a synthetic FFAR2 agonist, phenylacetamide-1 (CTMB), on bone cell differentiation. The participation of histone deacetylase inhibitors (iHDACs) in the effects of SCFAs was further assessed in vitro. CTMB treatment was also evaluated in vivo during orthodontic tooth movement (OTM). FFAR2−/− mice exhibited deterioration of maxillary bone parameters. Consistent with this, FFAR2−/− mice exhibited a significant increase of OTM and changes in bone cell numbers and in the expression of remodeling markers. The HFD partially reversed bone loss in the maxillae of FFAR2−/− mice. In WT mice, the HFD induced changes in the bone markers apparently favoring a bone formation scenario. In vitro, bone marrow cells from FFAR2−/− mice exhibited increased differentiation into osteoclasts, while no changes in osteoblasts were observed. In line with this, differentiation of osteoclasts was diminished by SCFAs and CTMB. Moreover, CTMB treatment significantly reduced OTM. Pretreatment of osteoclasts with iHDACs did not modify the effects of SCFAs on these cells. In conclusion, SCFAs function as regulators of bone resorption. The effects of SCFAs on osteoclasts are dependent on FFAR2 activation and are independent of the inhibition of HDACs. FFAR2 agonists may be useful to control bone osteolysis.
•Lack of FFAR2 disrupts maxillary microarchitecture and tooth-surrounding bone cells populations.•Bone marrow cells derived from FFAR2−/− showed an increased differentiation into osteoclasts.•Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) reduced osteoclast differentiation through FFAR2 activation.•Local treatment with FFAR2 agonist reduced bone turnover induced by force suggesting its use for control of bone osteolysis.
We consider linked lives through the Convoy Model of Social Relations to illustrate their complexity, consequences, and development across contexts. To illustrate how the Convoy Model lens provides a ...unique opportunity to examine the multidimensional and dynamic character of linked lives across time and space, we analyze twenty-three years of longitudinal data from the Social Relations Study (SRS). The SRS is a regionally representative Detroit-area sample (N=1,498) with three waves (1992; 2005; 2015) of data from community dwelling people age 13 to 93. We present three illustrative examples of linked lives: 1) the influence of earlier life social network characteristics (size and closeness) on later life health outcomes; 2) the influence of social position (race and education) on relationship quality with spouse/partner and child over time; and 3) the influence of transitioning from working to retirement on network structure (size and geographic proximity). Findings illustrate linked lives through multiple instances of social relationships and as influenced by various contexts. Further, the consequences of linked lives for mental health are consistent across the life course while influence on physical health is variable. The Convoy Model presents key concepts to situate the ways in which linked lives form and function at various levels and across multiple contexts to have far reaching effects on life outcomes.
Despite a growing body of literature documenting the influence of social networks on health, less is known in other parts of the world. The current study investigates this link by clustering ...characteristics of network members nominated by older adults in Lebanon. We then identify the degree to which various types of people exist within the networks. This study further examines how network composition as measured by the proportion of each type (i.e., type proportions) is related to health; and the mediating role of positive support and trust in this process.
Data are from the Family Ties and Aging Study (2009). Respondents aged ≥60 were selected (N = 195) for analysis.
Three types of people within the networks were identified: Geographically Distant Male Youth, Geographically Close/Emotionally Distant Family, and Close Family. Having more Geographically Distant Male Youth in one's network was associated with health limitations, whereas more Close Family was associated with no health limitations. Positive support mediated the link between type proportions and health limitations, whereas trust mediated the link between type proportions and depressive symptoms.
Results document links between the social networks and health of older adults in Lebanon within the context of ongoing demographic transitions.
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