Abstract
The effect of social networks on health has been widely investigated; however, no study in India has looked into the effects of specific social networks with children, relatives, friends and confidants on life satisfaction among the elderly. This article examines the association between social network and life satisfaction among the rural elderly. A sample of 630 older persons living in 12 villages in rural Uttar Pradesh, India, was selected. This study used Berkman’s theoretical model of social relations linking to life satisfaction. Results of the Confirmatory Factor Analysis demonstrated that the four specific social network types—children, relatives, friends and confidants—were tenable. The result of structural equation modelling shows that the higher network with ‘relatives/siblings’ is significant in promoting life satisfaction. The study suggests that there is a need for sensitisation of families and the community at large to the needs and problems of the elderly.
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